Erus itaque Desolo The Owner and Abandoned
by Angel Selene
Summary: ...'I cannot be both who I was and Owned… and I can’t go back… so Owned I must be. Please… finish it.' YAOI
1. Prologue and Chapter 1

Authors: AngelSelene

Pairings: Various (I'd be giving away a lot if I told you all now ^_~) 

Rating: PG-13 for the time being, may be raised

Warnings: This fic will include power differentials, if you don't know what those are, or are uncomfortable with yaoi/slash content, please don't read. I won't be responsible for anyone who disregards my warnings and are offended. Oh yeah, and language, always have bad language.

Website: you can find my art at I will be posting fan art for this fic there (once I get my sketches scanned and colored)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters, I'm taking and abusing them for my own strange entertainment. Storyline's mine, if it resembles anything else, I don't know of it. OC's are mine.

~~~~

Prologue:

It had been two years since the Eve Wars' end. The gundam pilots had floated around for several months on their own before finding their way to the Preventers. Wufei and Sally were currently engaged, as were Zechs and Noin. Quatre and Trowa had found one another, and eventually, Heero and Duo had come together. Life seemed too perfect…

It always does before something goes horribly wrong.

Duo was undercover on L2, investigating a drug ring when he went missing in the summer of 198. All attempts to contact and locate the former 02 pilot failed. There is currently a 100,000 credit reward for any information regarding the whereabouts of Preventer Duo Maxwell.

~~~~

Chapter 1:

"DESOLO! You are OWNED! I will not have my Owned disobeying me!" a man in a striking business suit yelled, grabbing the chin of the said "Owned." 

"I am not _your_ Owned! Owned I may be, but I won't be yours! Or your lackey's! I loathe you! Could I, I would kill you all!" the "Owned" spat back sharply, violet eyes flashing sharply. 

"I made you what you are!"

"Well, la-di-fuckin'-da," the Owned replied with a smug grin. "I didn't ask to be Owned, and the mind boggles at how miserable I'd be if I were yours, father dear."

"Don't call me that!" the man snapped walking away, pausing to cool down for a few moments before looking back at his crowning achievement. The true Owned. With this creature of his predecessor's creation, he was allowed to engineer more Owned. 

Technically, they were called "Desolo" the Latin term for "abandoned," for most who volunteered for the alteration were just that. Poor from the streets were leaping at a chance to have a permanent home, food and caring ensured for the rest of their lives. However, the term "Owned" had been coined, for that was also what they truly were. Something that once was human, made to be something more… and at the same time less. Most of their past was given up, memories becoming boggled and fuzzy, and sometimes forgotten all together. They were genetically enhanced with animal DNA and implants to make them the ideal bodyguards. They were created to serve a single master in every capacity. The memories of the Desolo were muddled in laying the groundwork for their Imprinting. Generally, the first person they laid eyes on, they would Imprint upon, at which point, they become emotionally entirely dependent upon that person. But that was not all the Imprinting did.

The Desolo prized their master's happiness and welfare above all else. They were willing bodyguards, go-fers, whatever was wished of them by their masters, including bed warmers. Their happiness and own well being hinged vitally on that of their masters'. They were physically unable to disobey a direct command, and were likely to die of depression should their masters die. There were a few fail-safes of course. They were unable to physically attack Collin, their creator, or his close subordinates. They also had a fail-safe to protect themselves. Their masters' safety and happiness were of the utmost importance, of course, and their own physical safety second to that, except in cases of abuse. An abused Desolo will protect itself from its master, to the point of slaying them. It was the only way the Imprinting could be undone. Collin was of the opinion (that was shared by the World Nation who allowed him to engineer the Desolo) that if a master was abusive then they weren't worthy of the Owned to begin with. 

And so the Owned were created. To be the perfect bodyguards, their physical strength was enhanced. Most were capable of lifting five times their weight, and capable of flying with the same amount. Yes, flying. The Desolo had several implants to make them more effective. They had massive either feathered or bat-like wings with were fully functional, along with long slender tails which could be either clubbed or spiked at the end. Finger and toenails were talons, capable of retracting about an inch to an inch and a half and could tear through steel and stone. Ears were slightly pointed, canines slightly more noticeable, and senses all greatly enhanced. Some had slit pupils, after all, they were not all identical. And all were Owned of their own volition…

…Except one…

The First, as he had commonly become known. He was the First Owned to be successful, and was obstinately refusing to Imprint. He was a well-hidden secret from the government, created by Collin's predecessor who had far fewer qualms about taking unwilling victims. He had never had a chance to repeat the process which had created the First. In a rage, the First had killed him, angered beyond reason by the horrors unwillingly forced on him. Collins hadn't known, but had since been trying to get the Owned to Imprint on himself. But the first was very stubborn.

When he'd killed Kelvare, he hadn't been able to Imprint, it hadn't gotten that far. Once it was done, and his rage sated, he had turned to Collins and told him to finish it. Collins closed his eyes and remembered the beaten look in the First's eyes that day.

// "Finish it, Collins. I'm not human anymore," the First looked down at his taloned hands, flexing them and watching the dangerous talons slide in and own. "A human does not have talons, nor wings, nor tail. A human, no matter how great, cannot detect a person's changing mood by their scent… I am not human anymore…" The First had then turned his still very human eyes on the pupil of his creator. "I cannot be both who I was and Owned… and I can't go back… so Owned I must be. Please… finish it, Collins."//

For some reason, which Collins himself had never really figured out, the Owned did not imprint on one another, and as such, while waiting for masters, they could live together. The First was like an elder to them, revered and much loved. But he was very different as well. His memories of his past were almost unaltered, although they could occasionally get jumbled. He could also be allowed around normal people without Imprinting, as it appeared he was going to be able to choose the person he Imprinted on. It was a little frustrating, truth be told, but it was.

"I did not snatch you off the street."

"But you didn't put me back when you found out, either," came the quick retort.

"By the time I found out you weren't willing, it was already too late."

There was a long sigh. "So it was."

"Why won't you Imprint on me?" Collins asked, turning and looking at the First. The large bat wings were tattooed entirely black, as was the four-foot long tail which swung negligently. 

"Because I will not belong to those who forced this on me."

It was an old argument, but that didn't change the responses. "But you will eventually belong to someone of your choosing?"

"I am Owned."

And that was that. Collins could feel it in his bones. One day, soon, the First would Imprint, and he would have to be given to that person. If he was not, he would die from longing. Some instinctual part of Collins knew that that day was very, very soon. 


	2. Chapter 2: I can't remember

Warnings: eto… it's not gonna be pretty, someone's probably going to kill me for this. More yaoi… definitely yaoi…

Oh, yeah, and I noticed that my website link didn't pop up, so here it is

www. Angelselene. Deviantart. Com (make sure to take out the spaces)

Disclaimer: they're not mine, this is the last time I'm saying it.

Feel free to flame, it gives me something to smirk about. 

~~~~

Chapter 2: 

Heero sank into his couch, exhausted. A year… had it already been a year?

It was hard for him to fathom, at times. A year without Duo… a year without the person whom he loved more deeply than he had once thought possible. How he missed the braided man… longed for his touch and his gentle laugh. Longed for everything that had proven that Duo was there, an integral part of the 01 pilot's existence. And without warning he was gone…

There was a knock on the apartment door, and Heero merely stared at the fixture from across the room having no intention of answering it. 

"Come on, Heero, I know you're there," came Zechs' agitated tone. After joining Preventers, Zechs and Duo had both become good friends, and Duo's absence, Zechs and Heero had become friends. Another knock. "Don't make me break the door, Yuy."

Heaving a great sigh, Heero rose to his feet and made his way to the door. "My landlord'll be pissed if you break the door again. I'd rather not be threatened with eviction again," he stated dryly, allowing the older man in and returning to his place.

"Maybe you should think about moving," the blond advised carefully.

"I don't want to move… if Duo should come back here…"

"I don't like it anymore than you do, Heero," Zechs sighed, sitting down across from him. "But I don't think he _is_ coming back."

Prussian eyes burned hatefully. "Don't even suggest that!"

"Heero, it has been a year. It is time for us all to face reality, you included. You're not the only one hurt by this, Heero. Hell! I was going to ask him to be my best man! Noin and I have delayed our wedding for over six months now, in hopes of his return," crystal blue eyes were strangely desperate, and terribly pained. "He's not coming back."

Heero bolted from his seat. "He will come back!" there was an almost crazed desperation in those odd blue eyes, before they were overtaken with a broken loneliness. Zechs watched in shock as the young man once known as the "Perfect Soldier" broke, and collapsed into the older man's arms, sobbing brokenly. "He's gone…" he choked out. "Oh, God, Zechs… what happened to him?"

Zechs said nothing. There was nothing to say. No one had any answers, and Heero hadn't expected any. The blond man just held his weeping friend, stroking his hair and rocking him as though he were a child. It was probably the first time Heero had cried in his life and all the pain and uncertainty of the last year came rushing out. Zechs looked out the window as night descended on the city and sent a silent prayer to any God that they would all get through this in one piece, and that, wherever he was, Duo was okay.

~~~~

It was raining outside. The First loved the rain, usually. Tonight, though, he was melancholy and inexplicably irritable. 

"Is something in particularly wrong, Desolo?" Collins wondered.

"I do have a name you know," he sighed, turning away from the window.

"Your name isn't really important until your master gives it to you, now is it?" the scientist pointed out. The First shrugged.

"True enough."

Collin's dull brown eyes looked worried as he went over to the First and placed his hand on the Owned's forehead. "Are you getting sick?"

Purple eyes narrowed in disgust and pulled away. "I'm not sick, Collins. I just… haven't felt like myself lately."

"Really? What's wrong?"

"I dunno… I feel like…" chestnut brows furrowed as their owner looked for a way to describe it. "…like I'm missing part of myself. I don't understand it," he scowled, running a frustrated hand through long hair. 

"You are Owned. You know you won't be complete until you have a Master. It's not in your nature," Collins pointed out carefully. "There have been so many who've inquired about you, yet you've turned them all away. Who are you looking for, Desolo?" 

The First gave a cool snort. "I wish I knew. My memories just seem to be running together anymore. I mean, I haven't been able to see faces for so long… but now it's like people are running together and I don't remember who they are anymore and-" 

"Desolo, slow down. This isn't unusual. I told you, being Owned without an Owner is not meant to be. If you'd just stop _fighting_ it so damned hard-"

"But I can't _forget!_" the First cried, desperation seeping into strange violet orbs. "I can't forget my past…"

"Desolo, if you don't Imprint on someone soon, those memories are likely to fade all the more. If it goes on long enough, you may loose them all. Please, Desolo, for your own sake, Imprint," Collins coached. 

"But I'm waiting for him… I want _him_ to find me… I want to be _his_…" there was such purpose in the Owned's voice that the scientist felt compelled to help his charge find this person.

"But who is he, 'Solo?" 

The First shuddered at the nickname. "If only I could remember…"

~~~~

Tsuzuku… TBC…


	3. Chapter 3: Oh, Duo

Warnings: see previous chapters

Note: If you all weren't going to kill me before, I'm certain you will now

~~~~

Chapter 3:

"The what?" Zechs wondered. 

"Desolo, the Owned," Une repeated. "There are several new laws regarding them, and they've been a huge controversy," she sounded slightly agitated. "How could you have missed something like the Owned?"

"I've been distracted… between Heero, Noin, the wedding and the fact that Duo's _still_ missing, I haven't been pay a whole lot of attention to whatever new thing has gotten the media in a riot," the blond man snapped irritably. "So what are they anyway?"

"Dangerous."

"Well, now that tells me a lot. It's like saying a mobile suit is big. A little vague don't you think?" 

"Zechs…" there was a distinctive warning in her tone.

"All right, I'll play. What is the controversy over these things? What are they anyway?"

"They were human," Une slid a folder across the table. Crystal blue eyes gave his commanding officer a questioning look before beginning to flip through the file, brows knitting almost instantly. "I want you to go to Nevada, to Desolo Inc.'s headquarters and I want you to make sure that people are truly willing to do this."

"How did this legislation ever get passed?!" there was an appalled look in the blond man's eyes now. "How could the government allow this to occur?!"

"Because the people who undergo this treatment are all perfectly willing, according to Desolo Inc., anyway. That's why I'm sending you in. If you even _suspect_ that foul play is going on, shut it down," the former Lady of OZ ordered. "I just can't believe that people would willingly subject themselves to this." With that said, she sat back in her chair with a long sigh, weariness overtaking her features. "I want Desolo Inc. shut down… but they have to be doing something wrong. Don't make something go wrong, Zechs, but please, _please_ pay the utmost attention. I just know that there's something wrong with Collins."

"Yes, ma'am."

~~~~~

Violet eyes snapped open as the First awoke abruptly. There was a name on the tip of his tongue, the name of someone very important… but as clear as it had been a moment ago, the First could no longer remember it. His heart ached mysteriously with its loss. 

The First glanced out the window. It was early, but not so early that Collins wouldn't already be in. He needed to see the scientist. His memory was getting worse. Names, characteristics, events, they were all running together and losing their shape as they did. But last night… oh last night he had lost something precious. There was a hole in his memories that was once filled by love and a deep longing overcame him. It was _him_, the one the First was waiting for… waiting to Imprint upon… and he was gone. The harder the First strained toward the faint memory, the more blurred and distant it became. He had one remaining memory of that person and he clung to it like a starving man to food. A slightly nasal voice, a voice that seemed to be a monotone yet wasn't… low and dark and…

…gone…

The First couldn't hear it anymore… the memory… the memory was gone…

Before he was conscious of it, the First was nearly flying down the hallway to Collins' office, desperation born of terror exuding from him. He threw the door open and stalked into the room, a slightly crazed look in his eyes. Collins leapt to his feet and quickly flipped over his newspaper so the front page was face down.

"Desolo, what-" he was cut off as the Owned pushed past him instantly, going straight to the newspaper and flipping it over, to verify what his mind had caught a glimpse of. "Desolo?" Collins queried again before realization set in. "Desolo, no!" he tried to tear the first away from the picture, but it was too late. He could already see the Imprinting taking place in those odd violet orbs. 

"Master…" Desolo's soft voice was partly filled with awe as he fell to his knees and stroked the face in the picture with the utmost tenderness. The face that he knew… the face that had been _safe_.

Yes, the face in the picture was safe, but some distant part of his mind raged against the Imprinting. Some part of him was screaming, _no! This is not the one you were waiting for!_ But that part went unheard as the Imprinting fully set in. The only sign of conflict was the tears that flowed unnoticed from lost eyes.

Collins gently pried the paper from the First's grip, ignoring the Owned's soft keening and took a deep breath. Above the picture was the headline: "Millardo Peacecraft Finally Announces Wedding Date."

The scientist slumped into his chair, rubbing at his temples as the First stared at him pleadingly, begging for the picture of his chosen Master back. "Oh, Desolo…" he whispered. "Oh, Duo… of all the people, why Milliardo Peacecraft?"

~~~~~

Thankx to reviewers!!

First off, I am awed by the amount of reviews I've gotten already. I don't think I've ever had responses like this (and I know it really isn't a lot, but compared to past works…) Anyway, I've decided to give my reviewers personal responses… bear with me, they're long:

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Falafal: My first reviewer! I'm hoping I'll keep your interest peaked.

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Genie'sDarkness: whistles innocently Well, as you found out in this chapter, Duo _didn_'_t_ Imprint on Heero. That would make it waaaay too easy one them. As for the future… shrugs

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Gundam06serenity: hope I've been keeping them coming fast enough for you

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Mite **Mite**: More than likely it'll have a happy ending. I'm a sucker for happy endings, just keep in mind, _my_ idea of happy may not coincide with yours. But it WILL be happy.

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ChangingSeasons: I'm glad you like it, and I'll think about your offer as a beta reader. I've never had one before… never thought my stuff warranted one. E-mail me at angie21085 @aol.com or IM me at NurikoZmiko on AIM, we'll talk.

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IluvTrunksChan: Hoping to keep you interested.

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Riddle-Master: Sorry if Collins was a little confusing at first, I was honestly working him out as I went along, and decided I didn't want him to be a heartless bastard about 10 minutes into writing the first chapter. As for seeing rather than being told, I would've, I could've but it would've been extremely time-consuming and, for me, distracting from the plot. I just wanted to get it all out there so I could concentrate more on the characters. Don't worry, I haven't told you _everything_. smirks some things you're going to find out in other ways.

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Hikaru: Please, don't kill me. I absolutely LOVE 1x2, it's possibly my favorite pairing in GW, but I ALSO love alternate pairings. Duo's bound to Zechs now (whether our poor blond knows it or not) so it's yet to be seen how Heero will play into the equation. I have one of two outcomes in mind for him, but I'm not sure which I'm leaning toward yet (and NO, neither of them is a death… I just have problems killing my favorite characters) Please bear with me.

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AikoNamika: Did it head where you were thinking? I hope not. Personal smugness, you understand. I get a perverse pleasure out of keeping my readers on their toes (yes, this includes my good friends who know me in person)

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Karen McCoy: Solo + Heero = Duo… thatz a good thought. To be totally honest, "desolo" IS the Latin word for "abandoned" (since as far as I could find, therez no Latin word for "Owned") it seemed to fit. It's actually one of those number games of mine that happens to fall into place without me actually TRYING to make it work. I just looked at the word the other night and saw that it had the word "Solo" in it and thought it would be wonderfully ironic for Duo to suddenly become "Solo." As you can see though, you're going to have to expand your equation. ^_^ 

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Zammy: I'm not trying to be mean, but read the warnings: YAOI/SLASH. I am a yaoi fangirl, and there are only a few of the lead girls in the GW universe I can tolerate. Hilde, I have a personal grudge against cause her Jap voice actress also does Chibiusa (Sailor Moon) and Miaka (Fushigi Yuugi) and both those characters drive me up the walls. I don't have a problem portraying her as a good friend, but more often then not, I don't bother with her at all. Not to mention, for my plot device, short of Hilde actually going to specifically look for an Owned, Duo would never have a chance to Imprint on her. And I think you will agree with me that it would be distinctly out of character for Hilde to do something like that. This story WILL be slash, please, if it really bothers you, don't read, but don't get on my case about it. 


	4. 4:My dear friend what's happened to you?

Warnings and Disclaimer: Keeping it PG-13 for now, and I'm hoping I can keep it there, but don't be surprised if it goes up in the next several chapters. Please bear with me, as Duo's probably going to get much worse before he gets better, but I promise, he WILL get better.

Quick note: I really love reviewers, I hope everyone read their personalized reply, and I want to extend a thanks to new reviewers **Wolf Wing** and **Memorietrail.** For all of those who were praying for 1x2, let's just say that I couldn't make it _that_ easy. If it's going to be that easy, why bother writing it at all?

~~~~~

Chapter 4:

"Dr. Collins, a Preventer Merquis here to see you," Natalie's voice over the speaker nearly gave Collins a heart attack. Once he calmed himself, the information sunk in and the scientist hit the speaker button on his phone.

"Excuse me, Natalie, could you repeat that?"

"A Preventer Merquis is here to see you. He says it's a surprise inspection and he wants a personal tour of _all_ facilities," she explained quickly, shooting wary glances at the beautiful man before her. 

"Zechs Merquis?" Collins' voice was strained.

There was a pause, then, "Yes."

"Bring him up, Natalie. Then if you'd be a dear and check up on the First I'd be greatly appreciative," he instructed.

"But isn't—"

"No questions just now, Natalie, please."

"Very well, sir." The line disconnected.

Collins slumped helplessly in his chair. Of all the people to come for a surprise inspection it just _had_ to be him, didn't it? 

Perhaps it was just as well, he admitted silently. All attempts to undo the First's Imprint had gone over like lead balloons. The First was fixated, completely. He'd spent the better part of the first week doing nothing but begging for his _Master_ to be sent for, or to be allowed to go to him. Collins' continual denial of Desolo's fundamental need had lead quickly into depression. His half-Imprinted mind was entirely focused on his chosen Master, and cared little for anything else. Without touch, scent, smell and voice, the First's mind was trapped in a child-like obsession, unwilling and unable to care about anything but completing the Impression. 

The scientist let out a long sigh. He was on uncertain ground. He'd never had a case like this before where an Owned was unable to fully Imprint. Of course, the First had always been an exception. He had hoped, desperately so, that the Imprinting could be undone. Neither he nor Kelvare had ever considered that an Impression would occur accidentally, and his predecessor wouldn't have been able to fathom the idea that someone may not even _want_ an Owned. 

Well, Collins decided mentally, it may come to finding Masters for the remaining Owned then having the project shut down, but it was better than the alternative. Only two weeks after the initial Imprinting, the First's mental stability was quickly spinning out of control. Either the Impression would have to be completed or the First would die. There was no alternative. Over the year he'd watched over the First, Collins had grown a kind of fatherly affection and sense of responsibility for the young Owned. He viewed all of the Owned as his children of a sort, and would rather have his project shut down then watch one drive itself to a death of longing. It was too cruel.

The scientist's musings were interrupted as a polite knock sounded on the door and Natalie's tall, almost excessively lean frame entered, followed closely by the man whose picture had been burned into Collins' mind almost as certainly as it had been Imprinted into the First's. 

__

Oh, Lord, Collins prayed silently as he braced himself, _let this man be kind. Please, let him heal Desolo._

~~~~

Zechs' first impression of Dr. Avery Collins was unimpressed. The scientist was a man who was in his early forties and just a bit overweight. He was dressed in a striking business suit and his graying hair was cut close and combed over to one side. Though the suit was striking and the haircut professional, the man was the sort who was naturally forgettable. He had the bland sort of features, which were neither attractive nor repulsive, the sort who could easily blend into about any background just by politely excusing himself. He was a mere 5'5" though that may have been due to the slightly thick soles on his polished loafers. He possessed what was likely usually an easy and disarming manner, but seemed frazzled by the Preventer's unannounced visit. 

"Preventer Merquis, I assume?" Collins asked, coming out from behind his desk and shaking the blond man's hand. "Avery Collins, please, just call me Collins. I wish we could meet under better circumstances."

"You and I both, Doctor," Zechs stated, trying to figure out where this man could be going so quickly. Giving up already? That just didn't seem right.

"Just Collins, I told you," the scientist corrected quickly. "If you'll follow me we can begin the tour immediately. I have a bit to explain to you and something, or rather someone, of the utmost importance to show you. You probably don't remember me, Preventer, but I was an apprentice of Dr. Kelvare's when he worked for OZ—"

Zechs stopped immediately in his tracks and began to bear down on the much smaller man. "_You_ are Kelvare's successor?!" crystal blue eyes blazed in fury.

"Ah, so you remember my esteemed predecessor, do you? Well, then you'll be glad to know he's dead. Killed by one of the Owned as a matter of fact, the one which will be of particular interest to you," Collins spoke in the quick, slightly hurried speech of the extremely intelligent. The kind of speech that usually said they had more ideas than they could communicate in what they deemed a sufficient amount of time. There was a particular nervous undertone to the rapid speech though, as though he were usually more in control.

"I was unaware that Kelvare had anything to do with the Owned," the blond man stated dubiously as he followed the again moving scientist.

"Then you didn't read your file very closely. Desolo was what Kelvare was trying to accomplish during the war, a race of perfect bodyguards, perfect soldiers as it may be, who were utterly loyal to those whom they belonged. He didn't perfect the process though, until a little over a year ago. I'm certain you're here to make certain all of the Owned are here of their own volition, yes? Well, they are, I can personally assure you, with the exception of one. We call him the First, because he was the first successful Desolo, and he was also the only one who was utterly unwilling. A fact which I did not learn until the majority of the transformation had been done. 

"Anyway, upon realizing what had happened to him, he killed Kelvare in a mad rage. I covered it up with few problems. As I'm sure you remember, Kelvare was a rather universally despised man."

"Hold on, Doctor, are you telling me there is a Desolo in this very building that was unwilling?" Zechs demanded, trying to make sure that he hadn't misheard something.

"Please listen more closely, Preventer Merquis. I've been telling you just that for nearly five minutes now. I am well aware that it is grounds to shut down the entire organization, and I wouldn't be telling you except that the First has run into some… complications."

"Complications? Deadly complications?" a blond eyebrow raised.

"Quite possibly," Collins conceded with a long sigh that seemed to drain the earlier energy. "Come, I'll take you to him," he began to walk down a different hallway at a much slower pace than before. "Now I must explain some things about the First. He's always been different. As you know, usually the process that allow the Owned to Imprint almost totally destroys all personal memories, but the First's have always been astoundingly clear, with the exception that he couldn't really recall faces or names. And due to the nature of the Imprinting, it's not like I could show him pictures of people it might be. Also, he has had a deep-seated hatred of me and most of my associates and thus, refused to Imprint on any of us. This allowed him a great deal more freedom in the complex than the others have. However, in the last few months, his memories have been fading. I've been urging him to Imprint on someone, but he was absolutely certain he was waiting for someone. Then Sunday morning, two weeks ago, I was reading the news paper in my office when he came flying in, the most desperate look in his eyes I'd ever seen.

"Preventer Merquis, do you remember whose picture was on the front page of the paper two weeks ago?"

Zechs paused and thought about it for a moment, then mentally shook his head at his own idiocy. "Mine. That was the day that my wedding date was published… surely you're not saying…" the blond Preventer's eyes grew wide and afraid. 

"I'm afraid so, Preventer Merquis. In my surprise, I did not have sufficient time to cover the picture and the First saw it. I've not been able to get either what happened to cause his panic nor why he chose you since then. You see, the problem is, to fully Imprint the Owned must register all five senses so they can never be fooled. A picture is only a visual sense. He's lacking the other four and is totally fixated. All he'll tell me is either to send for you or to allow him to go to you himself. I continued to refuse, trying to find a way to undo it, but…"

"No progress?" there was a strained quality to Zechs' voice now.

Collins scoffed. "No progress would indicate that there's even been a change, whether positive or negative. Nothing's put a dent in his fixation for even a moment. You are now the center of his universe, Preventer Merquis. As far as I can tell, it cannot be undone."

"What happens if I just refuse to take him?" 

"He'll die. Whether he actively ends his life or allows himself to waste away is rather inconsequential, don't you think? Perhaps I was a little vague. You are not just the center of his universe now, Preventer, you _are_ his universe. If you are happy, he will be happy, if you are sad, so will he be. Your disapproval is his utmost fear. To fail you, unthinkable."

"How could people willingly subject themselves to that?!" the somewhat frantic Preventer demanded.

Collins shrugged. "The Owned can love no one but their Master, but I've found that the Masters quickly begin to love their Owned. They aren't mindless animals, Preventer. They are, however, very detached from emotions concerning anyone but their Masters. I'm afraid you'll have to take the First with you. I'll have his things packed up and sent to your home ahead of you if you'd give me your address."

"I'll just leave him."

"Be realistic, man. You're not that cruel. Not when you're sane, anyway. And believe me, if the First continues on the path he is on, I give him a month, no more than three at best, and every passing day will be more torture than the last," Collins explained flatly, standing outside a door. "So? What is your answer?"

Zechs took a deep breath and steeled himself. He knew that Collins was right, he couldn't allow that poor creature to die such a lonely and painful death. "All right. I accept," he let out a long sigh. "What is his name?" he asked as the thought suddenly occurred to him. "Surely he had a name…"

"Of course he did, but it's not really important now is it?" Collins stated, opening the door. "Whatever you call him will make him happy." 

Zechs timidly stepped into the room, eyes alighting on the only other person in the room. Curled up in what appeared to be an oversized pet bed the First was curled up, elegant black wings spread over itself like a blanket and a black tail flicking negligently back and forth. Waves of chestnut hair spilled over the side of the bed and onto the floor as the creature played with a set of photographs on the floor. Upon closer inspection, the blond realized they were pictures of himself. The creature was humming a peculiar tune under his breath that struck a chord in the elder man, apparently unaware of his visitors.

"Desolo," Collins called gently. "Look who's here. Look who's come for you."

The Owned looked first at Collins, then past him, violet eyes lighting up with absolute joy as they landed on Zechs. Before the blond man could register his astonishment, the First was across the room and clinging tightly to his leg, nuzzling it, obviously taking everything about his Master in.

The blond Preventer felt positively ill as the implications of those violet eyes sunk in, and he fell to his knees, tears in his eyes. "Duo?" he asked. Instantly, the Owned was alert, confused and a little afraid as to what had upset his Master.

"Yes?"

"Oh, in the name of all that's holy!" the blond cried, wrapping his arms tightly around the smaller man. "Duo… our beautiful, beautiful Duo…my dear friend… what's happened to you?" and with that, he began to weep great heaving sobs of despair. 

"Master?" the innocent query only deepened the sobs and tears sprung unbidden to the First's own eyes. 

Collins stared on in horror.

TSUZUKU…

~~~

dives for cover Don't kill the author. Killing author means no more chapters…


	5. Chapter 5: Keep me?

Warnings: Still PG-13, though things are going to get complicated.

NOTE: if anyone wants to see my sketch of Desolo Duo (complete with wings) go to www. Angelselene. Deviantart. Com (remember to take out the spaces). He's all colored now, although now that I'm looking at him I think I'll probably end up redoing the background… I don't like it very much, but I do like the effect with Zechs.

~~~

Chapter 5:

"Master?" there was a deep pain in the Owned's voice as his Master continued to sob.

Without warning, Zechs grabbed the First's face and looked him straight in the eye. "Do you remember me, Duo? Do you remember who I was, not who I am to you now, who I _was!_" he demanded.

Chestnut brows knitted for a moment as the First considered it. Slowly comprehension dawned on his face and his eyes cleared. "You're Zechs," he stated. "You were my friend. Now you're my Master." The beatific smile that accompanied that statement broke the Preventer's heart.

"Do you remember Heero?" the blond pressed, moving his grip from the Owned's face to his shoulders. 

"Of course I do," came the matter of fact reply. 

"Then you still love him?" hope sprung without note to the Preventer's voice. The First sighed dramatically and gently cupped his Master's face, tenderly drying his tears.

"I love _you_, Zechs. You are my Master now. _You_ are the only one that matters," his tone was the careful gentle neutrality that one tended to use to explain painful things to children. "I remember Heero very well, and I know…" he paused, thinking for a way to communicate his feelings about the Japanese man. "I know that I cared very deeply for him… probably loved him but," he sighed, releasing his Master's face and sitting back on his heels. "It doesn't matter anymore. I can be his friend again, but _you_ are my Master." 

Zechs could feel his heart breaking. "You don't mean that…" he gasped out, panic in his crystal eyes.

"I don't lie, Zechs, you know that. If you want, I… think I can go back to treating you like I used to… if that's what'll make you happy…" there was a clear need in beautiful violet orbs to make his Master happy at all costs. "But I can't change the way I feel about you, or the way I think of you," he confessed, hanging his head and beginning to play absently with a lock of the golden silk that served as his hair. 

"What else do you remember? Do you remember—"

"Preventer, please, slow down. His memory is obviously returning, but there's no need to rush it," Collins interrupted, placing his hands on the agent's shoulders. The First growled deep in his throat at the motion and gave a merciless glare to the scientist. Collins quickly realized his mistake and moved away from the blond man. 

"Did you know about this?" Zechs demanded.

"Of course not. But it does explain quite a bit. Desolo, you were waiting for someone specific to Imprint on. Is this the man?" the scientist asked.

"I have a name, Collins," the First scowled. 

"Fine, _Duo_," the man stressed, rolling his eyes. "Answer my question."

"No. He's not. I think Heero was the one I was waiting for, but I'm not upset that it's Zechs. He was my best friend," the beaming smile he sent to his Master was heartbreaking. 

"I think the two of you need to reacquaint, and I need to explain a couple more things to you, Preventer. We have spare rooms here, if you'd like to stay for a few nights and get used to the idea of… Duo being your Owned—"

"But I can't—"

"And you can't not," Collins pointed out, looking pointedly at the still kneeling Owned who was now displaying a look of absolute terror.

"You… don't want me… Ma—Zechs?" his voice was thick with emotion as he forced the words out. 

"It's not that I don't want you, Duo," the blond quickly tried to explain. "I just… I don't want to be your master. I just want to be your friend…" he stopped when he could see that his words were doing no good.

"To him, it's the same thing," Collins explained softly. "Come," he stated softly. "Why don't we get you a room. Do you want De—Duo's bed moved in for the time being?"

"Why?"

"Well, I can guarantee you he's not going to let you sleep alone. He'll sleep on the floor if you want him to, but I think you'd rather have him comfortable in his own bed rather than yours," the scientist explained, leading both down a hall. Duo was carefully keeping about three paces behind Zechs, close enough to react should anything threaten his Master yet not in his Master's personal space. The Owned felt his heart wrench at the thought of Zechs not wanting him. His mind searched desperately for a way to please his Master… anything that would make him want him… Anything…

The familiar weight of his cross suddenly registered in his mind and he stopped walking. "Zechs?" he asked softly. Both men stopped and turned to look curiously at the First as he drew the silver chain from around his neck, walked up until he was only a scant foot from his Master. "I… I want you to have this." And with that, he reached up and slipped the fine chain over the blond man's head and patted the cross gently before stepping back away.

"Duo, no! I—I can't accept this—!" he protested making a move to take it off, but stopped at the absolutely terrified look on the younger man's face. "Duo…" he tried to argue, holding the plain silver icon in his palm. "… This is your past…"

With a slight sigh of relief, he stepped closer and gently closed the blond man's hand over the cross. "Whether you like it or not, Zechs, _I_ am yours… and so is my past. Compared to you… it's meaningless."

Finally, with Duo's darker hand and taloned fingers resting on his own pale hand, the reality of the situation began to sink in. Zechs took a shaky breath then looked into intent violet eyes, but the Owned silenced anything he might have said. "Please, keep me?"

Zechs was lost. Without consciously thinking about it, he threw his arms around the smaller man and held him tight, not noticing the brilliant smile on the Duo's face as he nuzzled his Master's chest and purred contentedly.

Tsuzuku

~~~~

Not near as long as the last chapter but it was such a good place to end it, and you can't really complain since I'm basically updating on a daily basis. Please, keep the reviews coming, you authors KNOW how motivating they can be!


	6. Chapter 6: We can't do anything but wast...

Warnings: More angst… I'm good at angst.

~~~~~

Chapter 6:

"Please, gentlemen, join me for dinner," Collins interrupted, giving a hidden look to the Owned who pointedly ignored it. Zechs nodded. "If you don't mind my asking, how did the two of you meet, originally, I mean."

The blond Preventer gave the First a questioning look. "It's up to you, Zechs. I think it'd be fun if he knew, but I don't really care either way," Duo replied.

"We knew each other by reputation during the war… after, we became friends when we both joined Preventers," the blue-eyed man finally explained. 

Collins stopped. "During the war? Surely… Duo wasn't with OZ." 

The violet-eyed man smirked. "Hardly. Stomping Ozzies was a favorite pastime of mine."

"He was a gundam pilot… one with a penchant for practical jokes and excessive destruction," he gave a mock glare at the chestnut haired Owned, almost forgetting what he had become for a moment as Duo tucked his hands behind his head and gave him a patently innocent look. Sadness reflected in Zechs' eyes as he took in the free flowing mane, fanged grin and black wings. The weight of the cross resting on his chest felt heavy suddenly. The Owned's grin faded instantly as he sensed his Master's discomfort. 

Knowing that nothing but time would soothe the involuntary Master, he decided to redirect the conversation back at Collins, resting the tops of his wings on his shoulders to make them less obvious and wrapping his tail around his leg to make it less obtrusive. He also noted the somewhat stunned look on Collins' face with a bit of pride curling within.

"Duo," Zechs said suddenly. The Owned cocked an eyebrow. "If you remembered Heero, why didn't you just send for him?"

Duo's shoulders rose and fell with a silent sigh. "I remembered feelings, Zechs, not facts. I couldn't remember what he looked like or what his name was. I'm not positive I could've told you he was a gundam pilot much less where to find him—"

"But you could've gotten word to Relena—"

"I didn't even _remember_ Lena, Zechs, I'm certain of that. After all the hell I went through cause of her obsession with Heero, I didn't _want_ to remember her, I think," he explained. He looked like he was going to go on for a moment then thought better of it. "Why don't we just get something to eat?"

~~~~~

Dinner wasn't anything fancy, but it was good and covered all the food groups. It went smoothly until Zechs excused himself to report in to Une, insisting that he be alone and Duo stay with Collins once the scientist had given him directions to a vidphone. Violet eyes had pleaded to go with but had been turned down. His tail was swinging from side to side sharply, releasing some miniscule amount of tension as he awaited his Master's return. Once alone, Collins gave the Owned a pointed look.

"What?" Duo asked, trying for innocence but ended up sounding rather sharp. 

"I've always known that you're unbearably smart, but what you did to Merquis was very cruel."

"What do you mean?"

"You used your memories of him to manipulate him like a puppet on strings. You know exactly what to do to get the reactions you want out of him. That was a very cruel thing to do to someone you were obviously close to," Collins stated point blank. 

The Owned dropped pretenses, almost as if playing verbal games with Collins would take more control than he had. "All right, so it wasn't nice, but I think you're going a little far with 'cruel.' Besides, it's not like anything I said to him was a lie. Just the opposite. It was all painfully true. I'm Owned, Collins, not stupid. I had to make him accept me _somehow_ or we're both going to be miserable. I'd cut my hair if I thought it would make him happy, you know that," he idly pushed around the leftover beans on his plate.

"He has no clue what you did." It was almost accusing. 

He was rewarded with a short-tempered sideways glance. "Of course not. He's still kind of thinking that somehow, intellectually, I'm less than I was. He'll get over it, but he's not in any condition to even think of me being manipulative at the moment. It's going to take him a while to get used to the idea that aside from the physical changes the only thing that's really changed is my feelings towards particular people, him and Heero specifically." He tapped his fork thoughtfully. "You know, it's not unusual for Masters to think of us as being somewhat inferior. You've mentioned that to me countless times. But our fail-safe just wouldn't work if we were blindly faithful. A love of requirement doesn't make it any less real. You know that we really do love our Masters," he pointed out. 

The scientist was unimpressed. "True as that may be, it was no reason for you to pull that stunt." 

The Owned supressed a growl. "Complain all you like, Collins. So it was a little unorthodox. This whole thing is rather unorthodox. I _know_ that Zechs doesn't want to be my Master, but as long as he accepts his role, I'll be fine. I'll work on the details later. Right now him accepting the fact that I really am his right now is tantamount," he admitted. "Once he truly accepts that, and stops trying to change it, things'll get easier… oh hell," he grumbled, setting his fork down and running fingers through his hair.

"What?"

"Noin, his wife-to-be. That's going to cause some sparks…" he rubbed his temples. 

"The Owned have belonged to married men and women," Collins pointed out, finishing up his beans, though he didn't offer to finish Duo's. 

"Yeah, but Noin is… special," he trailed, looking slightly pained. "Let's just leave it at that."

"Well, it looks like your memories have filled in just fine." Duo ignored the dry tone.

"Thank Shinigami for that. It's nice to have all the pieces back where they belong, at least for the most part," he leaned back in his chair, idly playing the ends of his hair thoughtfully. "I really hope Noin'll be able to handle this…" he sighed wistfully, but without much hope. 

"If she's as 'special' as you say, it could be very problematic," it was an concession. "And if it comes down to choosing between the two of you?" Collins had to ask, leaning forward and resting his chin on his hands.

Duo shuddered. "I don't want to think about it. Because if he chooses me, Noin will survive it… if he chooses Noin… I don't think I will," he took a deep, weary breath and curled in on himself, both wings and tail enfolding their owner as if to be a barrier to the world. "Collins, I think you and Kelvare overlooked a potential disaster when you set up the Owned… because if our Masters don't want us… we can't do anything but waste away."

~~~~

Zechs wearily sat in the chair in front of the vidphone that Collins had told him about a few rooms down; far enough to be private, but still close enough that Duo wouldn't be over-agitated. Mentally, he was still reeling from everything that had been thrown at him that day. Steeling himself, he put the call straight through to Une, not in the mood to deal with a secretary, even one as nice and helpful a Charity tended to be. 

It only took a moment for the Preventer Chief to pick up. "Colonel Lady Une—Zechs?" she raised her eyebrows in surprise at his somewhat strained appearance. "Is something wrong? I didn't expect anything from you so soon," she admitted, regaining her composure.

"We have a problem, Lady, a very real problem," he stated point blank.

"That bad?" the Lady felt her heart sink. 

"Actually, as far as I can tell, everything here it totally legal. Collins is very careful about how he runs his company. Kelvare, however, was not so," fists clenched and an ugly expression found its way onto his face at the mere thought of the man (and he used that term loosely). "That bastard was taking people off the streets of L2! Random people! People he _knew_ wouldn't be missed! He was doing this up until a year ago, when one of his own experiments turned on him!" he exclaimed, the pain, confusion and frustration of the day finally asserting itself at its first available target. 

"I'd always been a bit curious about his sudden demise," Une replied dryly. "But that's not all, is it," it wasn't a question. "Zechs, since when do you where a cross?" she narrowed her eyes.

"That's the absolute culmination of what this problem comes down to!" he was nearly yelling now. "The last person that Kelvare stole off the streets of L2 was one Agent Duo Maxwell!" he blurted. Une went sheet white in an instant. 

There was silence between the two for a moment while the head of Preventer recovered her mental balance. "Are you telling me that Maxwell is now one of the Desolo?" her voice was tight with restrained emotion.

"I am."

"And is that his cross?"

"It is."

"May I ask why then _you_ are wearing it and not _him_?" she queried, hands idly playing with a pen, though she was in no way paying attention to it. 

"Because he gave it to me." 

"And why would he do that?" Her tone was almost conversational.

"Because he's Imprinted on me…" all of the earlier anger had drained out of the blond Preventer, leaving him slumped in his chair and very defeated. 

There was a small cracking sound as Une went very still for a moment. "What?" 

"Duo has Imprinted on me," he repeated slowly, as if for his own benefit. 

"I see… and what are you going to tell Yuy?" The Lady's tone was not as tight had been only moments ago and she took the instant to discard the broken pen. 

Zechs blanched, though only someone well acquainted with him would've been able to tell. "I hadn't thought about it," he admitted, voice only slightly strained. "He Imprinted on me from my picture in the newspaper, Une. That you sent me here is just coincidence," his blue eyes reflected his distress. "Heero's going to kill me… I never asked for this… Duo was my best friend, and now I'm… I'm the center of his damned universe! Scratch that, I _am_ his universe! I never wanted this! I wanted to _find_ my friend, not _own_ him!" He ran a hand through his hair, the only outward sign of his conflicting emotions. 

"So how is he acting towards you?"

"Same as always for the most part. His memories seem complete, but both he and Collins tell me that they had pretty much faded completely shortly before he Imprinted on me. I'm under the impression that Duo panicked and Imprinted on the first thing he saw, which was my picture," he explained, resisting the urge to start rubbing his temples.

"I see…" the Lady repeated. "And how do you think Noin is going to take the news?"

Blue eyes blinked in surprise. "I'm sure she'll understand," he stated after a moment. 

Une paused before she responded. "I hope you're right. Anyway, I would rather like to have a _talk_ with this Collins. Do you think you could get him for me?" there was a dark glint in her eyes that reminded Zechs very much of Treize's right hand woman right then, bringing old memories to the front of his mind. 

"Just a moment," and he left to get Collins, almost eager to introduce the scientist to Treize's Lady. 

~~~

Note about Duo as the First: Okay, I had a good friend of mine read this and not only was she extremely impressed w/ me (she usually my worst critic, which is good for me, if frustrating) she only had one question about consistency. "How can Duo be the First? And what makes him perfect if he still has his memories and won't Imprint?" 

He's the first SUCCESSFUL Owned, physically. He wasn't the first to be experimented on, he was basically, for all intents and purposes the first to survive the procedure. For those who went before him, you really don't want to think about all that could've gone wrong with them. He's the First because physically, everything worked. He uses his wings and tail as if he'd been born with them, the same with his talons and enhanced senses. 

As for him having his memories, it was never the goal of either Kelvare or Collins to make the Owned forget their pasts, it just happens to be a side effect of the process that makes Imprinting possible. If Duo can Imprint off a picture of someone then doesn't mean that he could Imprint on a face of someone he remembers? And he does have memory loss, he can't remember names or faces, but he has feeling to associate with memories and memories of people. Think of the dreams you have where you can't see people's faces, it's the same thing. He knows he knows them and they're important to him, he could probably have even told you that Memory # whatever had blond hair, a gentle heart, a large family, and seemed to be some sort of empath as well as being an awesome strategist. Of course it's Quatre, but he can't remember the name or face.

The thing about not Imprinting appears to be a fluke that occurred with Duo and only with Duo. Just because he _won't_ doesn't mean the process didn't work, as was obvious with his memories. Now whether his memories would've returned if he had Imprinted on a total stranger, probably not. It would've been too inappropriate for him to have that past that doesn't impact on his new Master. Basically, as he told Zechs, his past is inconsequential when compared with the wants and needs of his Master. A total stranger wouldn't have needed to know anything about Duo's past, so he'd probably have forgotten it completely. But it is Duo so it's hard to say. 

Yikes, long note. Hope that explains any questions or inconsistencies. 


	7. Chapter 7: I love you

Warnings and Disclaimer: nothing new

~~~~~

Chapter 7:

"Collins?" Zechs stuck his head into the room.

"Yes?"

"Une would like to speak with you," he announced, giving Duo an odd look as the Owned jumped to his feet and stood very close to his Master. "Is something wrong, Duo?" the blond man asked. 

The First looked uncertain for a moment then shook his head. "I don't need to be borrowing trouble. I just want to be near you for now," he stated, reaching out slowly for Zechs' arm, giving the older man plenty of time to pull away. When he didn't, Duo latched on, nuzzling the bicep gently, but maintained a firm grip as Zechs lead Collins to the vidphone.

"Lady, this is Dr. Avery Collins. Collins, Colonel Lady Une," the blond introduced blandly, pointedly keeping Duo out of view.

"I wish we were meeting under better circumstances, Lady," Collins began easily.

"I don't like hearing about anything happening to my agents. Especially something like this," she glared.

"I truly didn't know until after the fact, Lady. And I did not know that Duo was a Preventer until today. He never deigned to tell me. Perhaps you should ask him why?" he suggested.

"That's a very good suggestion. I'd also like to see for myself how Maxwell is fairing," she replied icily. 

"Very well. De—Duo?" 

Duo raised a questioning eyebrow to his Master who nodded. Reluctantly, he released Zechs' arm and allowed himself in front of the camera. "Hey, Une-chan," he smiled softly. 

Une caught her breath as she looked at the face of the former 02 pilot. His normally handsome features now seemed to be ethereal. Multi-hued hair falling over his shoulders like a curtain of silk, unrestrained, high cheekbones and strong chin coupled with eyes that were now unquestionably violet and seemed to reflect inhumanly. The pointed ears just finished off the illusion, which was only broken with the familiar cocked eyebrow. "Maxwell," she acknowledged, finally. "You're looking well."

"You too, Une-chan, but I thought you had something to ask me?" he replied.

The prompt put her thinking on the right track. "Yes. Dr. Collins said that you never told him you were a Preventer. Why not?" she asked flatly.

Duo threw a glance back at his Master, making sure he could answer freely. Zechs nodded. He wanted to know as well. "What point was there? What was done was done. It's rather irreversible, so why make a bigger deal of it?" he shrugged elegantly. 

"You are _my_ subordinate, Maxwell—"

Violet eyes seemed to light up momentarily. "The only person I'm subordinate to is my Master," he stated coldly. "That's Zechs, if you're confused, by the way," he added cheekily. 

The Preventer Chief mentally recoiled at the cold look in the First's violet orbs. "Let me talk to Dr. Collins again," she finally informed. Duo stepped away without another word, going to sit next to the chair his Master had planted himself in. Subtly, he rested his head against the blond man's thigh and wrapped an arm loosely around the same leg. Absently, Zechs automatically began to stroke his Owned's hair while listening to Collins and Une's conversation. "Okay, Collins, no more word games. How much of Imprinting is real biological imprinting, and how much of it is just the subject's belief?" she demanded instantly.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure what you're—"

"How much of this is all in his head? Brainwashing, for lack of a better term."

"Ahh… I see," Collins gave a sad smile as he heard the First's soft purring. "You want to believe that this is all in his head and that the only thing necessary to reverse it is making him understand that it's not real, is that it? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Lady, but the Imprinting is sound biological Impression," his lips turned up in an ironic little grin. "I'm sure you remember Kelvare, Lady. He never would've left something such as the Owned's loyalty to such an inconsistent thing as brainwashing."

"I don't care what you did, Collins, or what Kelvare did. I just want you to find a way to reverse it," Une hissed lowly. 

"I'm afraid that complicates things. Those who consent to becoming the Owned know that the process is irreversible. It makes them consider the decision very carefully. If there is suddenly a way to reverse it, then we'll have all sorts of people who think they want to be Owned but end up chickening out, leaving them with the physical enhancements but no one to keep them under control," he shook his head. "I'm sorry. I already did the best I could when I realized that the First had Imprinted upon what I believed to be a stranger in a picture. There is no so-called cure, Colonel Une. Just as there is none in nature."

~~~~~

Duo's things had been moved to Zechs' temporary room by the time they retreated to bed. At the foot of the queen-sized bed was the Owned's cat-like bed. 

"Is that really comfortable?" the blond asked, eyeing the pillow-like thing suspiciously. Duo chuckled softly, opening a drawer in the trunk that held most of his belongings. 

"It's obscenely soft," he smiled. "I swear, you just sink into it. I love it. Sometimes I think Kelvare mixed a little too much cat genes when he was going for retractable talons," the chestnut-haired man admitted, shifting his shoulders resulting in a cracking of joints that made his Master wince. "Sorry."

"It's okay, but doesn't that hurt?"

"No more than cracking your knuckles. My wings are fairly heavy so the joints get a bit stiff during the day. Of course, every now and then I do it just to annoy Collins. He positively cringes every time I pop 'em," he tossed the blond a fanged grin and managed to startle a snicker out of him. 

"So can you really fly?"

A genuine smile crossed the First's face as he pulled his hair over his shoulder and reached behind his back. "It's amazing…" There was a wistful awe in his voice. "I've never flown outside, mind you. There's a huge training facility in the basement with more than enough airspace to take flight. It's even better than piloting 'Scythe was… I can't describe it."

"So you really fly, not just glide?"

Duo nodded. "I found some of Kelvare's old notes when I was bored. It looks like it was an even bigger frustration to him then getting the Imprinting to work. Human bodies just weren't meant to fly. Actually, different Owned have different wing shapes. There's one girl who doesn't have any finger bones in this part of her wing," he explained, pulling his own around to point out the bone that ran the length of his wing membrane. "But she's tiny, so she doesn't need the extra support," he added. "I haven't asked, but I don't think there's actually bone in this finger though. I think it's just cartilage," the violet-eyed man explained, reaching towards the bottom of the wing and twisting it around to show its flexibility. Zechs noticeably winced. "It doesn't hurt anymore than pulling your ear around hurts. I can feel it, but it definitely doesn't hurt," he assured, moving to sit on the bed. "It's okay to be curious, you know?" 

"But…" the blond looked pained.

"Hey, what's done is done," the First comforted. "Kelvare may have been a jerk, but he really was a genuis," he stretched out a wing to his conflicted Master and giving him an innocent look. Slowly, Zechs sat on the other side of the bed and reached out to touch the extended limb. "It's not going to bite."

Carefully, the blond Preventer ran his hand over the membrane and blinked in surprise. "It's just…"

"It's just skin. It's only black cause it's tattooed. Same with my tail. I asked Collins for that. Believe it or not, these wings look really creepy when they're flesh colored. That, and they're a menace to conceal. When they're like this, they're easier to hide. I just hook this finger up top here," he pointed to the almost claw-like finger at the joint of the wing, "on my shoulder, and let it hang down. Then I have a black trench coat that is lined in stone gray. Blends nicely," he smiled as his Master continued to run his hand over the wing membrane. 

"It's almost like leather…"

"What do you think leather is anyway? Silly." The Owned giggled as the former prince hit a sensitive spot. Stealthily, he poked the older man in the side with his tail. "That tickles." Zechs cringed away from the tail, protecting his sides.

"Your tail is hard," he complained, reaching out of the swinging appendage.

"Duh… it's mostly bone," violet eyes practically glowed in happiness as he put his tail within reach. At the end of the four and a half foot long tail was a nine-inch spear-shaped club. "Careful of the edges, they're kinda sharp. Don't ask me how many pairs of pants I've ripped on it," he made a face that got a smile out of his Master. 

"Why a club? Wouldn't a whip-like tail be better?" the blond wasn't really thinking of the wings and tail being part of his friend, just curious as to how they worked. As long as he wasn't repulsed, Duo didn't particularly care.

"It would. Collins said that Kelvare was smart enough to realize that different people are better at using different weapons. The was a guy here who had a morning star on the end of his tail. Sweet Shinigami the guy was huge. It fit his personality," he was talking to keep his Master calm mostly. Once Zechs realized, or remembered that these were part of his friend, who was not only now Owned, but _his_ Owned, it would be harder to appeal to his natural curiosity. 

"This seems contrary to yours, though. Too obvious," the blue-eyed man commented. 

"Is it now? Kelvare thought the same thing. Move your hands back. I don't want to hurt you," he warned. Zechs did as asked, and the spear-head split open to reveal three sharp, jagged bone blades. "They're stronger than the rest of the bones in my body… I can cut concrete with these suckers," Duo explained, flexing the sides open more so that Zechs could see that the bone sabers were actually hinged and could move slightly in a scissoring motion. "Make damn good scissors too," he added, snapping his tail shut. 

"I would imagine…"

The Owned tilted his head and examined his Master closely. "You look tired. You've had a long day. Why don't you get into some comfy-cozzies and crawl into bed. I'll be here to guard your dreams," he promised, moving off the bed and reaching behind his back as he had earlier. The sound of a zipper was heard once, then again as he reached behind his neck to undo the top of his halter-top. "You don't mind, do you?" he asked, holding the shirt unsure in front of him. "Zechs?"

The blond man jumped, cursing himself furiously in every language he knew. "It's fine… my bag—"

Duo's tail plopped it on the bed. "Collins sent for your stuff," he stated. 

Zechs couldn't help staring stupidly. "Totally prehensile, huh?"

"Helps with balance too, but aside from that, yeah, it's kinda like a fifth hand at times. Providing I'm dealing with something fairly long, anyway. Things like glasses and stuff like that… well, those are for hands, not wayward tails to handle," he grinned sheepishly, going to kneel by his trunk again.

The blond stared at the finely muscled back as Duo dug into his trunk, unable to stop himself. It was odd to see the smooth connection of the wings with his back, knowing that nature had never intended such a thing. The First had surprised him when he'd taken off his shirt, giving his Master an unobstructed view of his chest. It was something that Zechs had always struggled with before, forgotten in the stress of the situation, remembered in an unguarded moment. He'd be lying if he said that he wasn't attracted to his friend, but there was a certain safety in knowing that Duo had Heero and that he had Noin. A dark corner of the blue-eyed man's mind noted that he could have Duo any way he wanted now. He shook it away fiercely, digging through his own bag, the bag Noin had packed for him. Everything meticulously folded and in its place, remnants more of military life than a true neatness. His heart ached for some reason as he thought about his wife-to-be.

"Zechs?" Again, Duo's voice startled him out of his reverie only to give him another shock. The First was wearing a toga-like garment that seemed to wrap around his neck then hang loose until the waist where a black satin cord belted it, then a flowing skirt fell to his ankles, long slits up the sides that were held loosely together with laces of the same cording, but much thinner. What was most startling though, was the color of the garment, a pure white. He'd never seen Duo wear white that he could recall. It was very flattering on him. 

The Owned fidgeted with the cord belt under the scrutiny of his Master, a light blush covering his cheeks as he ducked his head. "Wings and tails are a little awkward to fit clothing around… the skirt is the best thing for a tail and wings make normal shirts impossible…" he explained, breaking the apparent spell that had held the blue-eyed man. "You haven't gotten changed?" he pointed out.

"I… It's just…" the blond shook his head physically. "I don't think I've ever seen you wear white," he finally recovered. 

Duo made a bit of a face. "I don't like it very much, but for sleepwear it's fine, I guess," he admitted, then raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to get changed?"

"Yes," the Preventer stated firmly. "Where's a bathroom so I can get cleaned up?"

The Owned only pointed through the doorway, eyes lingering longingly on his Master as Zechs promptly went to the bathroom to get ready. With a sigh, he unfolded the blanket in his bed and laid down, wrapping himself from the waist down while letting his wings work as a blanket for his upper body. He listened to the blond as he puttered about the bathroom, returning a few moments later to crawl straight into bed.

"Duo?" his tone was uncertain as he reached for the light.

"Get some sleep, Zechs. You're exhausted." 

"Good night." There was a soft click and the lamp was put off.

The First was awake deep into the night, doing nothing but listening to the sound of his Master's sleep, memorizing the rhythm and sound of his breathing, violet eyes glowing dimly in the dark room. Unable to sleep, he silently got up and went to Zechs' side, admiring the slack face as his Master slept soundly. White-blond hair spilled over the pillows like a waterfall of moonlight.

Unable to resist, Duo leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on the older man's lips. "I love you," he whispered, slipping back to his bed, finally to find sleep. 

TSUZUKU….


	8. Chapter 8: What have you created?

Warnings and Disclaimer: see previous chapters

~~~~~

Chapter 8:

Awareness came to Zechs in stages, which told him immediately that whatever had happened the previous day had be highly stressful. As a solider, awakening was usually an instant thing. His internal clock told him it was a little after nine in the morning. He'd slept in. The blond Preventer sat up and put his feet on the floor, wondering exactly how much of his day with Collins was real and how much had been a dream. More than that, he was hoping most of it was a dream. Heaving a sigh, he surged to his feet and stretched, listening to his back pop with a long string of satisfying **cracks**. He made a move to go to the bathroom when he realized that someone was watching him intently. Slowly turning around, blue locked with violet. 

Duo was curled up in his bed like a kitten, most of his body hidden under either a blanket or his massive wings, but his face was visible, and his eyes were wide awake. The violet orbs held an indescribable emotion for an instant before it was hidden with a smile. "Good morning."

Blue eyes just stared for a moment, reality setting in. "Duo?"

"Yes?" the First asked, rising to his feel in a soundless motion of pure grace. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"You're Owned?" the blue-eyed man asked, mind feeling sluggish.

Duo smiled affectionately. "I'm _your_ Owned, Zechs. Remember?"

"I remember," he stated. _I was just hoping that I was wrong._ As if sensing the unsaid sentence, Duo's brows knit slightly and he went to his Master's side. Carefully making his movements clear, he moved the almost snow-white hair over a shoulder. He reveled in the softness of the older man's hair, but didn't linger, moving almost instantly to start massaging his neck, being careful of his razor sharp talons. Zechs almost melted into the strong hands as they worked their way over his shoulders and down to the small of his back, but no further. The First stopped when his Master began to sway on his feet. 

"Feel better?" there was a teasing lilt to his voice.

The blond raised an eyebrow. "Where did you learn to do that?"

He shrugged. "I'm not really sure. I guess I'd call it an inborn talent," he smirked. "I gave a lot of back rubs to the guys after stressful missions. A little bit of trial and error, but mostly, just feeling things out. Are you going to take a shower? If not, I'll brush your hair for you," he offered. The tall Preventer stopped and thought about both questions. After that massage, he didn't really need the shower to loosen up, and that's all he was going to take it for anyway. 

"Okay. You can brush my hair," he stated, seeing the hopeful look in the First's eyes, but held up his hand to stop any overreaction. "But I get to brush yours," he finished. Duo made a face.

"But—" A look from Zechs stopped him.

"That's the condition," he stated finally. "Unless of course, you don't want me to—"

"No! It's not that… I'd like nothing more, it can just be so tedious," he complained, fingering the golden locks. "I didn't think you'd want to mess with it."

"Duo, in case you've failed to notice, my hair is awfully long too," the blond pointed out.

"Yeah, but it takes on a whole new level of pain in the butt once you can sit on it. Yours is down to your waist, and because you're so damn tall, that's really long, but you still don't ever sit on it," he countered, then shrugged. "But if you want to," there was a bit of anticipation in his eyes. 

Zechs nodded. "Just lemme go get washed up real quick." 

Duo went to his trunk and pulled out a brush, fiddling with it in his hands as he waited for Zechs to come out. It only took a few moments and the blond Preventer did look much more awake. 

"Turn around and sit yourself down. I'm brushing your hair first," he informed, not giving the Owned a chance to object. With a mock glare, Duo did as told, folding his wings over his shoulders like a cape. The older man took the brush and began at the ends, noting the chestnut mass trailed a good foot on the bed. "I can't believe it's down to your knees," he commented, mostly for the sake of conversation. "Has it always been this long? I know braiding shortens it… speaking of which, why don't you wear your hair in a braid anymore?" he wondered, noting that the winged man went very still for a moment before answering.

"It grows really fast now… Kelvare…" hate crept into his tone as he spoke of the dead man. "Kelvare cut off my braid. But since the Owned are supposed to be aesthetically pleasing, he managed to amplify whatever moderates your hair growth. As a result, most of the Owned have really long hair. It's just a pain to get cut every other week… as for the braid… It grew back so fast, I just didn't think to start putting it back in a braid," he explained. "Besides, it wouldn't have been the same… it's not the hair that Sister braided for me anyway…" there was a distance in his voice that Zechs knew only came from speaking of his past. A tone somehow wistful, longing, pained and very, very far away all at the same time. It was a tone that made the heart ache.

Thoughtlessly, the blue-eyed man wrapped his arms around the Owned, an ingrained response to that tone of voice. He hadn't heard it so many times that his reaction was habit so much as the inability not to. Duo reacted instantly to the arms encircling him, holding the arms across his chest and leaning back into his Master's embrace eagerly. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," the First replied. "Kelvare gave me you, whether he's alive to know it or not. That's all that's important." And try as he might, Zechs couldn't make himself let go. 

~~~~~

Ultimately, Collins called the two away from their comfortable embrace. Duo quickly finished his own hair, then did Zechs' with the same quick efficiency as his own, but with the utmost gentility. In the end, the blond persuaded the chestnut haired man to braid his hair again. The First gave his Master the honors of his first new braid. They dressed quickly and were on their way.

"Where are we going?" the Preventer wondered as Duo lead him down hall after hall, all the while playing with his braid as if he'd never had one before. 

"You still have to finish your inspection, don't you? That means you need to see how we're trained," he explained. "You'll be with Collins in the observation booth. It's a one-way mirror, so you'll be able to see us, but we can't see you." He walked down a set of stairs then opened the door at the bottom. "Here ya go. I'll be down below," he winked, then was out the door. 

"Good morning, Preventer Merquis, I trust you slept well?" Collins smiled at the taller man as he entered somewhat hesitantly. There were multiple monitors keeping track of specific areas, and what appeared an intercom system. But an entire wall was a one-way mirror overlooking what was clearly a training area. Mats, equipment and weapons were all scattered around the room, along with what was clearly an obstacle course. Zechs had to admit, everything looked legit. "Please, have a seat. I'm certain Duo will be by shortly to say hello and show off a bit."

"Show off?"

"Of course. The celings are 30 feet high in there. It gives them plenty of room to learn to fly and to hone their skills," the scientist clarified, and began to point out specific areas when a black blur passed the mirror, startling both. Collins stared out the mirror mildly irritated but not angry. "Cute," he muttered. "That's your Owned, there, playing with us."

The blond could do nothing but stared as Duo slowed on his passes and became clearly visible, waving, soon doing flips and tricks. The scientist had been right about the braided man doing tricks for their benefit, but it was still somewhat surprising. And beautiful. Duo's skill in the air was entrancing. It became more apparent as other Owned joined him and began an impromptu game of aerial tag. Though words couldn't be made out individually, laughs and shrieks, growls and playful roars could be. Somehow, it became apparent that everyone was "it" except the First, and the other half dozen made serious endeavors at tagging their elder. The one time prince could honestly say, he'd never seen anything so beautiful in his life.

"Stunning, aren't they?" there was a deep tone of pride in Collins' voice, and no little bit of awe. "This is what makes everything worth it," he added, watching the seven dart around. An eighth was watching unsure from the floor. The blond noticed somewhat belatedly that the wings and tails of the Owned were all tattooed different colors, between reds, greens, grays, black, even purples and oranges. It made them look all that much more mystical. 

"Who's that down there?" Zechs wondered, pointing at the pretty, but clearly skeptical boy with un-dyed wings and tail, who almost appeared to be hiding. "Why isn't he joining in?"

The scientist smiled. "That's the thirty-second. This is his first day meeting Duo and only his second day in the Basement," Collins stated. "From what I've heard, he's very cynical. He also thinks that the opinion of the First is nonsense. He thinks it's all trumped up fairy tales. Duo'll put an end to that, I suspect."

"Can he fly?"

"Not yet. He's too afraid to try. Like I said, I'm sure Duo will put an end to that though. He taught most of the Owned how to fly. Taught himself, though I won't lie about the number of bruises and near broken bones he gave himself trying," he chuckled at the memories. "Fortunately, the bones in their hands, feet, tails and wings are much stronger than normal bones. Or he'd have broken his tail more times than I'd like to count."

Knowing what an adrenaline junkie the braided man could be, the blond laughed as well. He could only too clearly picture a stubborn Duo, looking like a deformed Dalmatian, stating that he only needed one more try to get it right. 

"There he goes. The poor boy won't know what hit him," Collins pointed out. Zechs just smiled. Duo's force of personality could be extremely overwhelming. 

"He looks a little young," he commented smoothly.

"Thirty-two? Yes. He's been on the waiting list since it began. He was cleared for it early, but he wasn't old enough. He turned eighteen about a week ago. As I said, this is his first encounter with the First."

"Do you always call them by numbers?"

"There's no point in getting them attached to names that may change when they Imprint. Besides, the name that anyone but their Master gives them is nigh unimportant to them anyway. Some won't even recognize it as applying to them. Oh, dear, he's decided to be stubborn," he made a face. Duo was trying to coax the younger man into climbing the rock wall, but the new Owned was, sure enough, being obstinate. 

"Is there anyway we can hear what's going on?"

"Certainly," Collins turned and pressed a button, allowing the camera closest to the argument to focus in and sound came on.

"…overrated, over-privileged deformity!" the newest Owned yelled. Zechs winced as he saw violet eyes narrow thoughtfully.

"Is that so?" there was a dangerous lilt to his voice as he crossed his arms over his chest. The blond jumped to his feet, eyes wide as he turned to Collins. "We have to get in there! We have to stop them!"

"_We_ can't do anything, Preventer. If we go in there, or any other normal human being they'll Imprint. We can't have that. Trust your Owned to handle it."

"That's what I'm worried about… that he's going to _handle _it permanently…"

"Well, at least I'm not afraid to use what was given to me. You're skulking down here, afraid to try to fly in case you fail. What kind of Master wants an Owned who can't even use the wings he was given?" Duo challenged. "And deformity or no, _I_ have a Master now, which is more than you can say."

"You've been here for a year!" 

"Of my own volition," violet eyes became cold. "I think it's time for a little tough love," he stated, a decidedly unnerving grin gracing his lips. Without sound or warning, he pounced upon the younger Owned and threw him around his shoulders, using one hand to keep both feet and tail from doing damage, while using his own tail to keep the thirty-second's hands from harming him. He walked over to the rock wall and began to climb it effortlessly. Zechs merely stared in disbelief as he watched his Owned navigate the jagged side as though he were on a wire. Once up to the top, he negligently tossed the youth against the side, forcing him to cling or fall, then dropped down to make sure the younger one had no way to go except _out_. 

"Let me down!"

"You're perfectly capable of getting down. What do you think your wings are for?"

"They're useless! Now get out of my way so I can get down, or I'm going to hurt you!" 

"You can't use your hands or feet or you'll fall. You can't use your wings, and by the way your tail's waving about, I'd say you don't have the best control of it either. Exactly how do you plan to 'hurt me'?" the braided Owned taunted, batting playfully at the whip-like tail. 

"Is that safe?" Zechs wondered, feeling a little calmer.

"He might break a wrist or ankle if he falls, but I doubt that Duo'll let him fall," Collins replied, completely calm. 

"I can't do this!!" 

"Of course not. Not when you're thinking like that you can't," Duo told the youth flatly. He pointed to the other Owned who had lost interest in the battle of wills and had gone back to their game of aerial tag. "You're Owned, little brother. Part of that is being able to use those wings. Collins didn't give you wings to look intimidating, he gave them to you to be used. You can do it. I will help you, but you have to let me," he explained, pushing himself away from the rock and flapping his wings to hover next to the youth. "I won't let you fall," he promised, holding out his hand. The boy swiped at it, and Duo sighed, drifting away before coming back. "Look, we can do this one of two ways: easy or hard. Easy way, I'll help you. Hard way, I'll drop you. I keep telling you those wings are meant to be used. You'd be surprised how quickly they figure out what to do when you're falling from 30 feet," he pointed out. 

"You wouldn't!?"

"Why is everyone always so damned sure of that?" Duo's tone was directed inward and he obviously wasn't expecting an answer. "Okay, kiddo, I'm losing my patience. We're doing this the hard way," he stated, pushing away from the wall, grabbing an ankle as he did, and giving the youth a sharp tug to pull him away from the wall. 

"HELP!! Lemme go!!" the thirty-second cried, flailing about.

"As you wish," the First grinned darkly. "Just a tip, you may want to at least try to use your wings as a parachute, or the landing is going to hurt," he informed and let go. Almost reflexively, the falling Owned did just as he had been instructed and landed somewhat clumsily. Duo landed lightly an instant later, throwing his experience into stark contrast with the most recent Owned's amateurishness. "Nicely done. Ready to try again?"

"Get ready, Preventer. You're about to find out exactly why the Owned must be owned," Collins warned, leaning forward.

The thirty-second was breathing erratically and glared at his elder through mussed brown bangs. Suddenly, his eyes lit up in red light and he charged the First with a roar.

"Oh, for the love of—" the braided Owned was cut off as he blocked the first attack. "You know you're really taking this too personally," he informed, blocking attack after attack with the ease of a long-time practitioner.

"You're a monster!!" 

Violet flashed red for an instant, and his whole demeanor changed. His stance shifted subtly, eyes hardening. "You would do well to look in a mirror before tossing petty insults," there was a dangerous competence in his tone. The youth's tail whipped out, only to be caught easily and used against him. Pulled unwillingly toward his opponent, the youngest Owned was surprised as he caught a backhanded fist against his jaw, sending him flying several feet. "Is that all you have? Why would any Master want someone weak as you?" he demanded. The aerial games had ceased and the other Owned were watching silently, intently. It was clear they had no intention of interrupting. Duo walked towards his fallen opponent at a predator's pace: controlled, entrancing and deceptively slow. The youngest scuttled backwards awkwardly, tripping over wings and tail as he tried desperately to get away from the First. "A disgrace to the Owned you are… jealous to boot," he tossed his hand in a disgusted motion. 

"I am not a disgrace!" the thirty-second protested, beginning to regain some dignity. 

"Really? You cannot fly, you trip over your own tail. You're foolish, headstrong and careless. You're unskilled. How could you have been chosen to become one of the Desolo?" 

The youth got to his feet. "I'll prove to you I deserve to be Owned! I'll fly! I'll fight! I'll do whatever is demanded of me so that I can serve my Master to the best of my ability," he proclaimed. The First looked unimpressed.

"That is easy to say. Much more difficult to accomplish," his eyes narrowed skeptically, but thoughtfully. "Come," he commanded, turning silently on a heel.

Zechs was very near trembling in anxiety. "How often does this happen?" he demanded.

Collins shrugged. "A fair amount come and decide that the First is all hype. This isn't totally normal, but it isn't unusual. About as many challenge him as accept him. It doesn't usually take long for them to learn to respect his power. We've had one or two who just get stubborn about accepting his authority, but without Masters, the Desolo are very pack-ish. Your Duo is without question the Alpha male around here. Those who don't except that, challenge it. When they fail, they're outcast," he explained. "It's one of the reasons the Owned must be so. I'm not sure where this pack mentality came from, since neither Kelvare nor I used canine genes, but if they were released as they are, without a Master to control them, think about how much damage they could do." 

Zechs looked down just in time to see Duo crush what appeared to be a steel disk as though it were a soda can and then take a single leap before being airborne, taunting the youngest to join him. The thirty-second climbed the rock wall again and the blond, now looking closely at the camera images could see deep claw marks in the rock. "What is the rock wall made out of?" he asked.

"Rock. Not a whole lot else would hold up to this group." He scoffed. "Honestly, an army probably wouldn't stand up very well to a Pack of Owned.

A stone settled in the pit of the Preventer's stomach as he watched the antics of the Owned with a tactical eye. The thirty-second was learning rapidly, as the First flew around him, calling out tips and sometimes making physical adjustments then dropped out of sight. He reappeared a moment later, colliding with the glass mirror, clinging to it for an instant and sending a cocky smirk to those who he knew were behind it before taking wing again. Both Zechs and Collins had nearly toppled out of their chairs and the Preventer had his gun in his hand. Slowly, he put it away, walking to the mirror and taking in the cracks that looked as if a bullet had hit them. Places where those talons had dug in.

"Four-inch-thick bullet-proof glass," Collins informed, getting to his feet. "And it still would not keep them out if they really wanted to get in."

Worried blue eyes turned on the scientist. "My God, Collins… what have you created?"

~~~~

TSUZUKU…


	9. Chapter 9: What can I do?

Note: Fair warning, at some point, I'm going to bump this fic up to an R rating, if not NC-17 (which I'll be posting at adult ff.n) I wasn't sure at first but now… can't resist ^_^

Also… I must have frightened away all my 1x2 reviewers. Sorry about that, but if you're still reading please let me know. To make it up, I've got a new fic called "Casualties of Circumstances" and it IS 1x2 crosses heart Anyway, on w/ the story…

Chapter 9:

~~~~~~

"Aren't you at all worried about going back?" Zechs asked his Owned as Duo made sure everything was in its place in his trunk. 

"Nope. Not at all. You're beginning to make me nervous though. You're so uptight," he replied flatly.

"But how will everyone else react—" Almost instantly, the First's face was only inches from his, violet boring into blue.

"Is not all that important. I am yours, Zechs. That can't be changed. How they deal with it, how they react is not going to suddenly make me who I was," he slid his arms around the taller man's waist and rested his head on his shoulder. The blond couldn't help but notice how well Duo seemed to fit in his arms, right under his chin. Reluctantly, Duo pulled himself away, caressing his Master's face. "Don't worry so much." With that, he turned back to his trunk, leaving the Preventer reeling mentally. The intimacy of his Owned's touch startled him. There had something dangerously close to want in those amethystine crystals. "Almost forgot," he stated, pulling something out of a bottom drawer. "This is yours," he handed it to the blond. 

"What is it?" he asked, glancing over the cover.

"Don't freak, okay… it's basically an instruction book—"

"A WHAT?!"

"Well, try as he might, Collins can't cover all of the details that apply to us. The book has some guidelines as well," he admitted, trying to calm him by sitting the older man on the bed. "I think Collins has a letter in there for you too. I didn't look though. Read it or not, it's up to you…" he cocked his head thoughtfully. "You're really offended by this, aren't you?"

"What? Offended by the idea that you're less then human? Yes, I'm highly offended by it! You're—"

"Not human anymore, Zechs," he reminded gently, opening his wings and shaking them slightly for emphasis. "I'll take my trunk down to the shuttle. You look like you need a few moments to yourself," the braided Owned stated softly, resettling his wings on his shoulders and grabbing his trench coat. Tail wrapped unobtrusively around his left leg, and wings hidden by his coat, Duo almost looked like his old self. It was a startling transformation. "You want me to take your bag too?" he asked, head tilting and showing his pointed ears, ruining the illusion. 

The blond took a moment to respond. "Uh, no… I'll get it," he stated. Duo knelt in front of his Master, closing his hands over the book. 

"I am yours," he stated softly. "Every part of me belongs to you," he added, tenderly placing one of Zechs' hands on the silver cross still hanging round the blond's neck. "Please, don't forget that," he whispered, kneeling up and placing a barely-there kiss on the elder man's forehead, before turning and slipping out of the room, trunk in hand, with hardly a sound. 

Somewhat shocked, the fallen prince reached up and touched his forehead in disbelief. "I thought that was a dream…" he gasped out, hand moving down to touch his lips. The tactical part of his mind took over and he flipped the slender book open. It didn't look to even be one hundred pages long, though it had a brief history of the Owned, notes about taking care of them, and strict, often repeated warning against abuse and a page at the back with a list of all the Owned thus far, their names and Masters if they had them. A loose piece of paper slipped to the floor and Zechs picked it up.

//Preventer Merquis, Zechs, __

I am writing to you as I do to all Masters, but this one is of particular interest to me. My First is leaving me and I must confess that I am truly saddened to see him go. I hope that you will be able to love him as he does you, even though this was certainly not your idea. For the first time since entering this endeavor I wish there was a way to return him to what he was. Alas, there is not, nor is there meant to be. Mark my words, for until his dying breath, you will be the most precious thing in his world.

I know you are terribly disconcerted by the depths of his love for you, and that you see him only through the veil that friendship has laid over your eyes. To love him as he wants, no, needs to be loved, you must look at him through objective eyes. Since the beginning of your friendship, you have seen him in love with someone else, and as such, you deliberately veiled your eyes to his beauty and placed him on a pedestal from which you never intended to bring him down from.

Now I am telling you: He has fallen from the pedestal of friendship and it will not be long before he makes the true depths of his emotions be known. You have seen but a shadow of them as our Desolo struggles to hide them from you, knowing your confusion and conflict. When the time comes, I'm afraid you'll have to decide what his role will be in your life: Owned, friend, perhaps even lover. Once you decide, your choice will be final, for know that Duo will never overstep his bounds once they are set.

Do you remember what I told you that first conversation? "Your disapproval is his utmost fear. To fail you, unthinkable." 

Though I am loathe to put more stress upon your shoulders than you are yourself, for the good of my Children, I must point this out. You must decide what his role in your life will be. You must decide how you will treat him. And before you do, look once again at him with unveiled eyes. See his beauty unhindered and find within yourself, your true feelings.

The best of luck,

Dr. Avery Collins.

P.S. "A love of requirement does not make it any less real."

~~~~

"We're going to be late," Duo tapped his sandaled foot in mock annoyance, arms crossed over his chest. "I know it's a Preventer shuttle, but it won't wait forever."

"It will if we're the only ones who are getting on it," the blond replied, bag over his shoulder and book in his hand. "Where's Collins?"

"He's not coming. He never sees the Owned leave. He's up in his office, probably going over applicants at the moment. Why?"

"I… I just thought he might see us off," he stated, a little uncertainly. 

"Don't worry about him. He'll continue to make the Owned as long as he's allowed, and since you're not shutting him down yet…" he shrugged, climbing into the waiting van. 

Zechs climbed in after him, at a loss as to what to do. The words of Collins' letter kept repeating themselves in his mind. He sighed heavily, noting that subtly Duo leaned toward him, though he didn't touch. "What are you going to do when you see Heero again?" he asked, eyes distant as they gazed straight ahead. Another shrug. 

"I'm not sure. Hug him. Tell him I missed him, probably. Then tell him I am yours," his tone held little concern. He obviously didn't care all that much. It didn't weigh on the Owned's mind like it did on his Master's.

"Heero may very well try to kill me, you know?"

"You die, I die. How does that do him any good? Besides, I would not let him near you." There was a fierce intention in his tone now and he took one of Zechs' hands in his own, only to have it wretched away.

"Dammit, Duo! You can't do things like that!" Blazing crystalline eyes turned on the First. 

Violet eyes darkened in confusion and his brows drew together. "Do things like what?"

The innocent pain in his tone made the blond loose most of his anger. "You can't touch me like that, Duo," he sighed, still seeing confusion. "The gentle caresses, the soft kisses, Duo… you touch me as you would touch your lover. You're touching me like you used to touch Heero," he explained. 

Comprehension came quickly, followed and overwhelmed by pain in the next instant. Suddenly, he seemed to realize how close he was to his Master, and moved closer to the door. "I'm sorry… I hadn't realized… I'll stop," he stated, voice filled with regret. 

__

// "Your disapproval is his utmost fear. To fail you, unthinkable.// 

Zechs cursed himself but had to admit, he couldn't do anything more.

~~~~

The flight to Geneva and Preventer Headquarters was long and strangely melancholy. Duo was careful to keep his distance, and fiddled with his braid almost in rapt attention. Zechs recalled that only that morning he'd braided the silken mass, giving the Owned back his braid. 

"We'll be landing at Preventer HQ and reporting straight to Une," the blond man told him. 

"I remember," was the soft reply. "I always used to complain that my report would be much more coherent if I'd had a chance to go home and sleep first…" his tone was low, as if speaking up would anger his Master. "She never did believe me," he smiled somewhat ruefully. 

"Anyone you're looking forward to seeing?" the silence was too awkward for Zechs to be comfortable with it.

"Quat, Tro… 'Fei and Sally… everyone really… but I could do without them too. It'll just be nice to see them again. That's all."

The blond leaned back in his seat and suppressed a sigh. It appeared as if that was all he could do for the time being. He would just have to let seeing the others do what it would and pray to God, any god, that Duo would transfer his Impression to Heero.

~~~~

Zechs' car was in the airport parking lot, and Duo set his trunk into the back, feeling a bit more secure that regardless of what his Master felt, he would be going home with him. "So to see Une next?" he asked the taller man. The blond nodded.

"And give her a full report."

"There's not much to report on. Everyone's there of their own volition, except for me. And I'm not exactly upset—"

"No, you weren't upset at all when you killed Kelvare, now were you?" the taller man replied sarcastically, getting in the front seat.

Duo glared half-heartedly as he got into the passenger side. "Anyone would be. I'm not complaining now though… even if you are…" he trailed off, looking out the window. 

Great, Zechs thought, _another_ foot in my damn mouth. 

As a result, the radio filled the silence.

~~~~

Violet eyes took in the tall buildings that made up Preventer Headquarters for the first time in over a year. There was an odd detached feeling that came with it that the braided Owned could not name. "Zechs," he stated quietly as his Master turned off the car. "Please…" violet orbs burned into sapphire. "Remember that I am yours."

The blond clutched the steering wheel tightly but nodded, getting out. Duo followed quickly, keeping a few steps behind his Master. 

"Ah, Agent Wind, welcome back—Agent Night?!" the receptionist at the front gasped in alarm as they passed. Duo gave a cheeky grin, but never slowed his pace. Zechs appeared not to have noticed at all and walked straight past her, his walk brisk and purposeful. They went straight to an elevator and Duo reflexively hit the fifth floor button. 

"Uh… we _are_ going to the fifth floor, right? The offices haven't been moved in my absence have they?"

"No, they're still on the fifth floor," the blond assured, just as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. He strode confidently into the room, eyes straight ahead. Duo followed, ignoring the eyes on him and the gasps that went through the room.

Sarah, Une's secretary looked up from her desk and smiled. "The Lady is in her office. She's waiting for you. Just go ahead in."

"Thank you, Sarah," the blue-eyed man nodded. Sarah's eyes widened a little as she saw Duo, but she wisely didn't say anything. Zechs opened the door to Une's office only to hear Wufei.

"… and exactly what was so important about Merquis' return that we all had to be here?" the Chinese Preventer demanded.

"Ah, Agent Wind. I see you have Agent Night with you," Une stood as the two entered, and everyone in the room went terribly still. 

"Please, Une, I'm not a Preventer anymore," Duo stated, stepping out from behind his Master. "Hi everyone," he smiled softly. 

Heero looked ready to have a heart attack. "D…Duo…?" Prussian orbs were shining in disbelief. 

"It's me, Heero," he promised, something aching distantly in his chest. His once lover rushed forward, wrapping his arms around the Owned tightly, tears sliding from his eyes as he buried his face in the braid. 

"You're back… thank God you're back…"

"I thought you didn't believe in God," Duo teased softly. "I'm glad to see you, Heero," he admitted, slowly easing out of the Japanese man's grip. "But things can't go back to the way they were. I'm not who I was anymore. I can't be yours…"

"What? Why not?" he demanded.

"I'm Owned, Heero… Zechs is my Master now…" he informed softly, sliding his coat off his shoulders and opening his wings for his friends to see. 

"Zechs!" Noin snapped, leaping up. "What is the meaning of this!"

"It's not his fault!" Duo snapped, stepping in front of his Master. 

"And I suppose you became Owned of your own will, huh?!" she shot.

Violet-eyes flashed white for an instant and a low growl rose in his throat. His sharp eyes caught an abrupt movement as Heero made to attack the blond. Gun came out and Duo reacted without thought, tail snapping up and whipping the weapon from his former lover's hand. A moment later, he had the former 01 pilot pinned to the ground. "Stop this, Heero!"

"I'll kill him!"

"It's not his fault! For the love of Shinigami will you people fucking _listen_ to me! I saw his picture in the paper! Christ!" the braided Owned snapped, glaring coldly, managing to keep Heero's struggling wrists pinned to the floor. He felt the subtle shift that meant the Japanese Preventer was going to try to knock him off and countered it effortlessly. His tail flipped open and rested at Heero's throat threateningly. 

"Duo! Stop this!" Zechs demanded. Instantly, Duo was on his feet, head bowed sedately. "You didn't have to attack Heero! You love him!"

"I _loved _him!" the Owned shot back, eyes blazing. "And he was threatening you! I am not going to stand by and watch you get yourself killed out of idiocy!" 

"It isn't your place—"

"It is my place! You Own me, Zechs. Get over it! I belong to you and I will until the day I die. That can't be changed!" Every word brought him inches closer to the older man.

"You shouldn't! I didn't ask for this!"

"And you think I did?!" Duo's chest heaved in exertion, now only inches from Zechs' face. "When are you going to accept this?" there was defeat in his tone as he pulled back slightly. "Dammit, Zechs. You're my Master now… You're the one I love…"

Ice blue eyes glowered. "I don't love you. I don't want you," he stated, cold fury in his voice. "I am not going to lose everything I've ever cared about because you inadvertently Imprinted on me… Duo… I Disown you," he stated, head raised high, absolute certainty in his voice.

"No…" it was barely a whisper as pain ripped through him. 

"Yes."

"You… you can't!" desperation was the only thing discernable in the First's tone. 

"I will and I have!"

Duo collapsed to his knees, head hung and whispered something. 

"What was that?" Une asked gently.

"…Kill me…" 

"What?" Heero, this time, voice filled with shock and pain.

Violet orbs raised and looked only at Zechs, tears streaming down his face. "If you truly mean to Disown me, then kill me now," his tail snaked out and grabbed Heero's gun. He put it in the blond's slack hands and closed them over it, pointing the weapon at his heart. "If I have failed you so… disgusted you so… kill me… I've no other purpose in life except to protect you and to make you happy. I can protect you, but I obviously can't make you happy. So, please… kill me?" 

All eyes grew wide in shock. "I'm not going to kill you, Duo…" Zechs' voice was shaky, as were his hands. 

Fear sprung into amethystine orbs. "Please…" he begged. "Kill me now… if you've any pity in you… if you don't I'll only waste away…"

"You're free, Duo!" Quatre jumped and pointed out.

The braided Owned looked at him. "There is no freedom for the Owned, Quat…" he turned back to his Master. "We are Owned or we die. That is all there is. I told you Zechs: every part of me is yours," he reached up to stroke the silver cross in emphasis. "If you do not need me, then I am dead. Please… make it quick…"

Zechs jerked the gun out of Duo's hands and pitched it across the room, falling to his own knees and wrapping his arms around the First. "I take it back…" he whispered, stroking the golden braid. "You're mine… you're still Owned… for the love of God, please don't throw your life away like that…" he whispered into his hair. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" then he looked up into the shocked faces of Une, Noin, Sally and the former pilots. "What can I do?" he asked, painfully aware of the strong arms wrapped tightly around his waist as Duo continued to sob quietly into his shoulder. "What can I do but keep him?"

TSUZUKU…

Okay, I _really **really**_ hate begging for reviews. I always feel like such a heel, but this chapter was really important for me, so I want to know how I did. Was it over the top? Was it believable? Please lemme know…


	10. Chapter 10: Rather inconvienent, isn't i...

HUGGLES TO ALL MY REVIEWERS!! You all totally brightened up my outlook! ^_^ 

Thanks to: **Memorietrail, gundam06serenity, Oneesan Neko, Hakumei, Reader Lurker, karina, Kakashi no Hime, Falafal, rikasakuraduo-heerosyliaspike, Christy, AikoNamika, Goldenrat, Genie's Darkness, **and anyone else who's reviewed. ^_^ You're all inspiring! 

Special thanks to **Cy** who e-mailed me personally. I hope you're still reading ^_^

Okay, I feel I can give away some of the pairings by now: (future) 6x2 (no complaining, that's the way it's going to be), 3x4, 5xS, OcxD, and 1x? (I'm not sure who he's going to end up w/ as of yet, but I can promise it will NOT end in a 1x2, 6x9)

Onto the story:

Chapter 10:

"Please tell me this is some twisted joke," Wufei's voice was unsteady and he looked vaguely ill as he watched Duo sob in Zechs' arms. 

"I'm afraid it's all too real, Chang," Une sighed heavily as she sat down. "Zechs contacted me the first day."

"How did this happen?" Heero's voice was completely devoid of all emotion and that was enough to set the other pilots' nerves on edge in and of itself.

"Bad luck. He was taken off the streets of L2 as best I understand," Une replied for the blond Preventer, watching as the Owned calmed but still clung tightly to his Master.

"Is there any way to reverse this?" Trowa asked.

"No," both Une and Quatre answered, and eyes turned to the Arabian in surprise.

"Quatre?" the green-eyed man asked.

A hand went over his heart as he shook his head. "It doesn't feel like there's any way to reverse it… I wish I could say that some of this was an act, or melodrama but… It's only too real. It was too strong not to be real," he explained. "Emotions as deep as Duo's are running towards Zechs at the moment cannot just be undone. Possibly redirected, but I believe he'll be connected, deeply, to Zechs until the day he dies…" Coming from the knowledge of Quatre's Space Heart there was a frightening finality in that statement. 

"Sally? What's your professional opinion about the Owned?" Heero asked.

"I really haven't dealt with them on a personal level, Heero," she admitted. "But everyone I know who has says that the success achieved with Imprinting process of the Owned went above and beyond what it was hoped to do. I don't know anyone who's tried to reverse its effects, but I've always been under the distinct impression, if you'll pardon the saying, that it can't be undone. It wasn't meant to be…"

"But we can look—" Noin suggested, a hint of desperation in her voice. 

"I'm sorry, Lucy. Collins himself tried to undo it when he realized what had happened. It's simply irreversible. He said that Kelvare wouldn't have thought to include some way to undo it because he wouldn't have been able to conceive of someone not wanting one of the Desolo," Zechs spoke up from his place on the floor, arms still full of his trembling Owned. He started to stroke the long braid tenderly, reassuring Duo of his place. Heero's eyes blazed slightly when he saw the movement, but he did nothing else. "We can keep looking," he began tentatively, feeling the man in his arms beginning to tremble more violently. He immediately set back to soothing Duo. "That doesn't mean that I'm Disowning you, Duo. I promise…" he whispered. 

"I'm afraid that I can't allow you to continue looking for a way to reverse this," Sally sighed heavily, having watched the exchanged. All eyes were on her instantly, most glaring, some confused. "As a doctor, I can't let you deliberately put Duo through the emotional trauma even the idea of being Disowned brings about. You can keep searching… just don't bring it up again unless you're certain, and I mean absolutely certain that it will be one hundred percent effective. Anything less is torture, to them both. But I want you to keep in mind that even if the Imprinting is reversible, which I honestly doubt, that the physical alterations are _not_," she added sternly. "To be totally honest, I'm not sure that reversing it would be in Duo's best interest. He obviously isn't upset about being Owned—"

"He is not capable of being upset about it," Zechs whispered harshly, continuing to stroke Duo's hair even as the Owned drifted between sleep and wakefulness. Violet eyes fluttered open at the pained tone and he gave a soft purr and nuzzle to the blond man as if to comfort him. He now had his wings and tail curled around him as he did when sleeping, head resting in his Master's lap, intensely aware of how his beloved Master was feeling. 

"Where's he going to stay?" Heero asked.

"He'll have to stay with Zechs and Noin," Sally told him. "I've heard that the Owned go through extreme separation anxiety if they're away from their Masters for too long. They'll go to any lengths to be with those they are Owned by. Am I correct, Zechs?" she asked.

"Collins mentioned something of the sort to me. But the state I found him in pretty much confirms your theory," he answered softly. 

"What do you mean?" Une asked, sounding agitated. "You didn't tell me anything about this."

"He Imprinted on me two weeks before I went to Desolo Inc. Collins had been keeping him… locked up for lack of a better word, refusing to get word to me and refusing to let him come to me… Collins told me that if it had continued… he'd have died," the last part was whispered and Duo curled closer to his Master at the memory. 

"I think we should ask Duo what he wants," Trowa stated quietly. "Before we try to magically 'fix' everything." Eyes alighted on the green-eyed Preventer in some amount of surprise and a little bit of guilt.

"That's… an excellent idea. I don't believe I'm alone in feeling like an idiot for not thinking of it myself," Une looked a little ashamed and Duo let out a long sigh.

"I know it's easy to think of the Owned as being inferior. I wasn't going to remind you otherwise. It gives me an edge," he admitted, voice just a little rough from his earlier crying. 

"Why weren't you going to remind us?!" Wufei demanded.

The braided man sat up and fiddled with his braid in a familiar habit. "Cause I know that you're not really going to like what I have to say about it," he conceded. "I know that this is far from ideal, but… did it ever occur to any of you that I asked for this?" Blank looks all around. "Didn't think so…" he grumbled, standing up in a movement of pure grace, taking his jacket and slipping it back on. "I didn't volunteer to become one of the Desolo, but that doesn't mean I wasn't fully aware of what I was getting myself into."

"What are you talking about?" Heero ground out.

"It's true, I was taken off the streets by some idiot who got lucky. Next time I woke up, I looked like this. In a rage, I killed Kelvare, but the process that creates the Imprinting hadn't been done yet. I could've come back at that time, but like Sally said, the physical modifications are permanent."

"If you could've come back then why didn't you?!" the Japanese man demanded, slamming a fist into the table. 

"Because if Collins was right about anything it's that we, the Owned are too dangerous not to be controlled," he glared at his former lover. "I know you weren't really thinking about it, but I didn't have any trouble holding you down, Heero. And the physical strength is only the beginning. I was smart enough to realize that. I knew that what was done was done and there was no going back. I'm not human anymore… but I chose to become Owned just as much as anyone else," he sighed. "I wasn't human, and I wasn't Owned without the ability to Imprint, don't you understand? As uncomfortable as most people are with the thought of the Owned, we're still accepted. I knew that as an Owned with no Master… it was only a matter of time before something lashed back at me, or at people I cared about. So I told Collins to finish the process."

Heero's Prussian orbs betrayed his confusion. "But… if you did that… why didn't—"

"Why didn't I have Collins send for you?" Duo guessed. "Because I didn't think it was fair that I could choose my Master where the others couldn't. And I knew there'd be others. And I didn't want to force being a Master on you… I didn't want to force it on anyone. Honestly, Heero, would you have been able to handle me as being not just your lover, but your Owned?" he asked, tilting his head. "Would you have really been comfortable with that?" He didn't expect an answer, and he could clearly see the confusion in Heero's azure eyes. "I waited for you," he stated softly. "I wanted you to come… but I would never have forced this on you."

"But you forced it on Zechs."

"That was an accident. One I'll admit I'm not upset about, but an accident all the same. Do you realize I lasted a year without Imprinting on anyone? Do you have any clue how hard that was? The Owned are not meant to be without Masters. We're not meant to be alone. I was losing all my memories, vague as they were then… I saw his picture in the newspaper… I saw him as safe and latched onto it with everything in me… I didn't remember anything else until Zechs asked me if I remembered you…" he explained. "It could've been any of you, honestly… it just happened to be him…" he stepped forward, taloned hand reached out, only to have Heero recoil. "I truly am sorry…" Violet orbs darkened in regret. "Relena's coming… I'll go wait outside," he stated softly, slipping past his Master.

"Duo…" Zechs called as he opened the door, but seeing the Owned's eyes he let him go. 

"DUO!" Relena's overjoyed voice carried down the hall leaving most everyone in the room blinking.

"How did he…?" Noin wondered softly.

Zechs could guess, but he didn't say anything, just listened as the two in the hall talked, hearing tones more than words. Relena's voice was first bursting with happiness, then her brother could feel the let down in her tone, Duo's soft reassurances then again, warmth in his sister's voice. A pause where there was likely a hug and Relena stepped into the office. 

"I take it that Duo's unexpected change in status is the reason you called me here, Lady?" she asked, declining to sit. 

"Yes… you're handling this awfully well…" Une noticed.

"Well, I do think it's a bit of a tragedy, but it could be worse. He's alive and basically whole. I think we should be grateful for that," she explained. "He's Owned not stupid. He's still the same person he was, just his perceptions have altered a bit," the blond young woman added. "I have to admit… I'm not all that surprised…"

"What?!" The response was in stereo.

"Oh, really," she huffed slightly. "Dorothy is my aide and best friend. I think I would understand the Owned better than you would."

"What would Dorothy have to do with the Owned?" Zechs wondered.

Cornflower orbs looked speculative. "Well, she did want to keep it low key but this surprises me. Cain, her boyfriend/fiancé/whatever is also her Owned. You've all met him. I'm astounded you didn't notice…"

"Dorothy has an Owned and we didn't know?" there was a certain threat in Heero's tone.

"Honestly, Heero, it's not like it was her idea. Cain was a gift from her mother. The poor thing had already Imprinted on her picture, so Dorothy couldn't exactly turn him away, so she decided to just introduce him into her life as a friend of the family. Obviously, they've gotten closer than that. I'm a little jealous to be honest. The love of the Owned is so beautiful…" she sighed wistfully. "Anyway, I spend a great deal of time with Dorothy as you all know, and the Owned are rarely far from their Masters, so, by default, I spend quite a large amount of time with Cain. I half-suspected this when Cain spoke of the 'First.' What threw me off was that Cain said he had short hair… like yours, Heero."

"You never told anyone of your suspicions?" the Japanese man ground out.

"No. I didn't see the point. I'm honestly astounded that he remembers any of us," she stated flatly. "Cain doesn't remember anything of his life before he was Owned, and he said that most of the others are the same way, once they Imprint. I figured that even if it were Duo that he wouldn't remember any of us anyway. Going after him could've done more harm than good." She looked at her brother. "Come now, brother. That book you were given has the names of all the Masters of the Owned. Dorothy's name should be in there."

Ice eyes blinked. "I didn't look over the list. I've had quite a bit on my mind."

"I'm sure you have," Relena's eyes softened. "You know, Dorothy and Cain are just downstairs… I can have them come up if you'd like?" 

"Yes, please do that," Une nodded curtly. The former queen smiled and pulled out a cellphone, hitting a single number and waiting.

"Dorothy? Yes. Could you and Cain come up to Une's office? Tell Cain that someone he'd like to see is here as well," then she hung up. "They should be here in a few minutes. I can see by the looks, or lack there-of on most of your faces that you didn't take well to Duo's change."

"There has to be a way to reverse it!" Noin blurted.

"Of course there is," the blond woman stated simply, leaving the shorthaired woman blinking in confusion. "All my dear brother has to do is repeatedly, and violently abuse Duo, basically, provoke Duo into killing him. Once he's dead, the Impression will be undone… of course, you'd best hope no one's around when all this happens because he's likely to Imprint on the next person he sees," she replied conversationally, noting that the others looked rather ill. "It's a default the Owned have to protect them from an abusive Master."

"There has to be another way…" Noin was virtually shaking in her seat.

"Yes, it is rather inconvenient isn't it?"

~~~

In the hall, Duo was curled over in a fit of giggles. He could clearly hear everything being said in the room and was tickled to death by the memory of the sharp and witty young woman that Relena had become. He blamed Dorothy's influence mostly, but Relena had certainly matured into a woman to be admired and feared. There was still a certain innocence about her, but she didn't hold worthless ideals anymore and was a major political force. 

Her mention of Dorothy having an Owned didn't particularly surprise him, though he wasn't sure who "Cain" was. They never used names among themselves, but he had a pretty good idea. The elevator door opened and out stepped Dorothy and who he presumed was "Cain." The violet-eyed Owned smiled as he took in Cain, shoulder-length chocolate brown hair was loose, curling just slightly at the ends, and dark bangs fell into his almost golden eyes. From where he was standing, Duo could see the golden color of Cain's wings and tail.

"My friend," he greeted warmly, holding out a hand. Cain immediately responded, clasping the hand then placing an arm around the First's shoulder. 

"Desolo," the golden Owned replied.

"Duo is my name. I've heard yours is Cain now," he paused and smiled at Dorothy. "Long time no see, Miss Catty," he winked. Dorothy's eyes revealed both her surprise and happiness at seeing the braided man again. 

"It's Miss Catalonia, if you must, Mr. Maxwell," she responded in kind, giving Duo a hug as Cain stepped away. "You've been missed," she whispered into his ear. 

"I know. I'm Zechs' now, by the way."

"I figured as much. I somewhat doubt Miss Noin is very happy," she surmised.

The violet-eyed man winced. "Uh… no, not really…"

"Anyway, I've been summoned, so we _will_ catch up later. Until then, you and Cain can catch up," she nodded to them both as she entered the office. 

"So… engaged are you?" Duo turned on his fellow Owned who suddenly developed a stutter.

"W-well…er—I mean… you see—" The braided Owned laughed and shook his head.

"I understand, Cain, the Third," he assured, gazing longingly at the closed door. "There's nothing I'd like more to be in your place…"

~~~

TBC…

Reviews very much appreciated, but not demanded. Hopefully this chapter wasn't as heart-wrenching as the previous one.


	11. 11: Grieve for your lost love, hold fast...

AN: sorry it took so long to get this out. Not only was the chapter being uncooperative, but I'm currently out of town and have limited internet time. Sorry again ~_~

Chapter 11: 

~~~~

Dorothy stepped into Une's office. It was fairly large, though packed full of people as it was, there was little extra room. An extra table in front of the Preventer Chief's utilitarian desk was surrounded by chairs occupied by war veterans who seemed to be in varying stages of grief. 

Dorothy took in the various expressions with interest. Une, Trowa and Sally had wonderful poker faces. Wufei looked outraged, while Quatre looked sad. Noin and Heero had murderous expressions on their faces and Zechs just looked lost but resigned. She could tell that he had accepted his role as a Master, though that didn't necessarily mean he was happy about it yet. "Master Millardo, congratulations on your acquirement of one of the Owned,"she smiled warmly, feeling fierce gazes turning on her. Relena even had a questioning look on her face and Dorothy found herself immensely pleased. Relena had gotten hard to surprise of late.

Zechs glared coldly at her. "That Owned is Duo, Dorothy," he glowered. 

She gazed at him clinically for a moment before saying anything. "You know, all you're doing by fighting it is making both you and him miserable," she pointed out calmly. 

"He thinks he loves me, Dorothy! What am I supposed to do?"

Pale blue eyes hardened. "First of all, _Master_ Milliardo, he does not _think_ he loves you, he does. And to that end he will do anything and everything in his power to make you happy. Secondly, don't degrade his love just because it wasn't his choice. That he has to does not make it any less real and to treat it as less than the love that anyone else gives you is reducing him to less and thereby abasing him. Thirdly, don't be the victim in this. I understand far better than you'd like to think the shock of suddenly being a Master of one of the Owned. I've come to accept it as the gift it is, and until you _do_ just that, you're both going to be unbearably miserable. Duo reflects your emotions, Milliardo. If you're unhappy, so will he be. 

"I understand that you think that most of your problem with this is the fact that it's not just an Owned, it's Duo. I'll concede that that's most of your problem. But if that's the problem then stop thinking about him like that and think of him as being one of the Owned, not Duo. You're not going to hurt him any by doing that, especially if it makes it just a little easier to deal with the adjustment. Finally, you're under the, most likely mistaken impression that he would change this if he had a choice. To be frank, I doubt it. I've had many discussions with other Masters while I was figuring out what I was supposed to do with Cain, and _none_ of the Owned have ever once even hinted that they'd rather be anywhere other than where they are. I would be very much surprised if this were any less true for Duo," she concluded, crossing her arms loosely and letting all she'd said sink in. 

Zechs was glaring at her icily. "He can't say no."

Dorothy crossed her arms loosely over her chest, a calculating look on her face. After a tense moment, a completely indifferent expression passed over her face and the silence was broken unexpectedly. "Cain," she stated clearly, but not particularly loudly. An instant later the door opened and both of the Owned entered, Duo looking more relaxed than he had earlier. 

Cain was easily over six feet tall and carried himself with the same feline grace that Duo possessed, though it almost seemed almost out of place for someone as large as he was to move such tranquil ease. It wasn't as surprising to watch the similar effortless grace of Duo, for he'd always possessed that. Both of the Owned made a stunning, almost ethereal picture, especially when one noticed the just off enough eyes that couldn't be natural and the finely pointed ears. They looked like Elves of legend. 

Almost golden eyes softened as the alighted on Dorothy. "Yes?" Cain asked, tilting his head playfully and letting his hair fall into his face.

Without so much as a flinch, Dorothy looked coolly into the Owned's eyes. "I Disown you." 

It was almost a delayed reaction. Cain's playful expression melted into one of paralyzed terror. Duo reacted instantly, rubbing his hands up and down the other Owned's arms and trying to calm him.

"Brother, it's okay. She doesn't mean it… you know she doesn't mean it," his voice was pitched low, almost inaudible to the humans in the room. "She's just joking."

Cain suddenly snapped back to life, shock enflamed to anger though the fear was still prevalent in his eyes. "I know that!" he snapped, pushing the First away from him and walking over to Dorothy. He grabbed his Mistress roughly by the shoulders and shook her sharply, almost violently. "Don't joke around like that!" The Third's voice was somewhere between furious and terrified. "Don't you _ever_ joke around like that!" he repeated with another violent shake. 

Dorothy's face melted into an expression of love and she reached out and caressed Cain's face. "I'm sorry. I was joking," she assured gently. "I just had to make a point. I still love you," she promised, and allowed herself to be pulled to against him continuing to whisper reassurances and her love. Cain shrugged off his trench coat and enfolded Dorothy in his wings, effectively shielding them both from sight. 

Duo was nearly shaking in anger, his tail lashed back and forth violently and his eyes were glowing red as he turned on the room's stunned occupants. "What the _fuck_ did you think you were doing!?" he yelled and it was accompanied a tone that was almost a roar. Black wings were fanned out behind him and fangs were bared in fury. "I don't care whether or not you like it! As a matter of fact you're not required to like it! That doesn't give you an excuse to torture us that way!"

"Torture!?" Wufei protested only to be on the receiving end of enraged crimson eyes. 

"Yes, torture! There is nothing we fear more than being Disowned! _Nothing!_"

Quatre decided to try to pacify his friend. "Duo, please calm down—" 

The First turned on him. "Don't try to calm me! This is unacceptable behavior from any of you! We are Owned! We are the Desolo! We love our Masters above all, but we are _not_ toys!!" He slammed his fist into the table and the sound of metal twisting was heard an instant before the structure collapsed under his strength. 

Tense silence reigned for a few minutes before it was broken by Une's intercom. "Lady? Is everything okay in there?" Sarah's voice pierced the air.

Une reached over and hit her speaker button. "Everything's fine, Sarah," she stated, firmly under control. 

A slight hesitation then, "If you need anything, Lady."

"I'll let you know, Sarah."

Cain lowered his wings and looked at the First with compassion. "It's all right, Desolo," he stated softly. "There's no need to make the whole office come running." He smiled a sad smile.

There was a deep rumbling growl in Duo's chest as he turned to face the Third, only to be grabbed by Heero. The Japanese man rested his head against the nape of the Owned's neck. "Please… stop…" he whispered. 

"Let go of me, Heero," the braided Owned growled warningly. 

"But—"

"Let, go." His voice was cold and he sharply shrugged Heero off when he failed to respond instantly. He turned, possibly to start yelling again when he was stopped cold.

"Duo," Zechs called softly, gently as if trying to calm a wild animal. When the First made to protest, he was interrupted again. "Calm down."

Duo's eyes immediately returned to their normal color, though he looked like he was going to argue for a moment. Instead, he let out a long sigh, scoffed and slipped silently from the room. Zechs suddenly wanted to sit down very badly and noticed belatedly that there was a chair open, presumably for himself. "Dorothy, you'd know better than anyone else here: is there really no way to undo this?" there was an exhausted edge to his voice that didn't go unnoticed, but no one felt the need to comment on. 

Cain lowered his wings more so that his Mistress could see and be seen. "I'm sure Collins told you, and Duo, and Relena all told you what I am going to tell you: there is no reversing the Impression. Please don't ask me again," she sighed herself. Dorothy's pale blue eyes turned then to Heero. "I really am sorry for your loss, Heero, but there's no room in his heart for anyone but his Master anymore. Mourn the loss of your love and move on." 

Heero's fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles had turned white. "How can you expect me to do that?" his voice trembled with some barely suppressed emotion that seemed like rage though was probably closer to anguish. "How can you expect me to sit by day after day and watch him turn to Zechs in all matters?" Prussian eyes were gleaming with tears. "How can you expect me to just let go of him when he's so close?"

Relena set a gentle hand on his shoulder as Dorothy took pity on the grieving pilot. "I know that you still love him, so I'm going to ask you to look at this in a different light. What do you want most? Do you just want him back or do you want him to be happy?"

"I want him to be happy." There was certainty in his voice.

"Even if it's not with you?"

A slight hesitation, then Heero bowed his head, closed his eyes, gave a small sniffle, then looked up again. "Even if it's not with me." His voice was shaky but his sincerity unwavering. Relena leaned over, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and gently caressing his hair like a mother would her child. 

"Then grieve for your lost love, hold fast to your friendship, and help my brother accept his role because only then will Duo truly be happy," she whispered for his ears alone. Several silent tears made their way down the Japanese pilot's face.

Quietly, everyone filed out, leaving the Heero to mourn in private to Relena.

In the hall, Une went to Sarah and mentioned getting someone into her office later to remove the broken table. Sally, Wufei, Quatre and Trowa looked uncertain about leaving Zechs, Noin and Duo alone, but were silently hurried off. Dorothy and Cain were still holding hands when they came out, with one of the Owned's wings over her shoulder and his coat in her arms. She no longer cared what the press thought. Let them have their field day.

Zechs handed the trench coat to Duo, Noin following closely behind him. "That was quite a show of power."

"Of brute strength, you mean," he replied sullenly as he took the coat from his Master. 

The blond man couldn't argue it, so he didn't try. He slipped an arm around Noin's waist. "Let's go home," he sighed. 

Duo gazed longingly at the arm around Noin's waist from the corner of his eye.

~~~~

TSUZUKU….

Please remember to review ^_^


	12. Chapter 12: the Honor of the Desolo's Lo...

Chapter 12: 

~~~

It had been three weeks since the announcement that Duo had become Zechs' Owned. Three weeks that had certainly had their ups and downs, more downs then ups in the First's opinion, but of course, he was a little biased.

Being kicked out of his Master's bedroom the first night might have had something to do with his somewhat sullen mood of late. Noin had made it very clear the first night at their home that there was going to be one very firm rule: "Duo stays out of the bedroom." Zechs hadn't argued and the two had had an impromptu early honeymoon… for two days…

Duo was told in no uncertain terms that if he opened the bedroom door before anyone came out in the morning that he would face the consequences. The black-winged Owned didn't really know what the consequences might be, and though he didn't_ think_ that Zechs would try to Disown him again, he didn't want to risk making his Master angry either. So he'd been good…

… even if he'd been _really_ tempted to break something. Preferably something valuable. Neither Noin nor his Master were quiet in bed and there was nowhere in the house Duo could go that he hadn't been able to hear them. He didn't usually hate his super-enhanced senses, but really… 

Once Zechs and Noin had gone back to work, Duo had, naturally gone with. His first priority was his Master's happiness, but his protection came in at a close second. At which point he was informed in no uncertain terms by Une that if he was going to be there, he was going to do something constructive. She also gave the First special status as being the Preventers' first Desolo, partnering him with Zechs. Whenever his particular skills were not needed though, he had been given a job that he found both entertaining and rewarding: training new recruits. 

It had been touch and go, especially at first. Also, with Duo's reassignment to recruit training came with Zechs' as well, something that Noin had not taken well. She accepted it, though. She didn't have much of a choice in that. And she had been unable to protest when she realized how much her fiancé enjoyed training. Noin herself had been temporarily re-partnered with Heero until Une could find more suitable partners for both of them. 

The first weeks with Duo and Zechs training had been even more touch and go than their home situation. A lot of the recruits resented being trained by an Owned, and for almost all, it had been the first time they'd ever even seen one of the Desolo, much less interacted with one. As Duo had said, people automatically assumed that the Owned were inferior and the new recruits were no exception. Rather, they proved the point frighteningly and tended to assume that Duo was there for nothing except physical intimidation and shows of strength. The misconception had been laid to rest, although there was the odd student that still protested. Zechs had calmly informed them that any protests they wanted to make could be filed officially and sent to Une, who would probably take one look at them before feeding the articles to the paper shredder. 

The Monday of Duo's fourth week with Zechs, he strutted into the gym singing to himself in an apparently oblivious fashion. "You might forget you manners, you might refuse to stay. And so the best that I can do is pray… Luck be a lady tonight, luck be a lady tonight," he smirked, playing up to the confused students. "Luck if you've ever been a lady to begin with, luck be a lady tonight," he smirked. 

"At the rate you're going, you're going to need luck, Desolo number one," an unfamiliar voice called. Violet orbs instantly sought out the owner and found a middle-aged man leaning against a wall, clipboard in hand. The Owned's eyes narrowed briefly before scanning his students' faces and seeing one with a particularly smug look. He plastered on a smile.

"If you're going to call me by my number, good sir, at least say it right. I'm the First, though number one has a nice ring to it." His tone was amicable as was he smile, but there was something in his eyes that belied his good-natured cheer and made the comment sound vaguely threatening. "But since you seem to know who I am, may I inquire as to who you may be and what the hell you think you're doing in my class?" his tone never changed, despite the harsh words. 

"Where's your Master?" the man asked coldly.

The cheer vanished instantly, replaced by danger. The First's stance shifted ever so subtly from relaxed to tense and ready to pounce. "Busy."

"Don't toy with me, creature. Where is your Master?" the man demanded, approaching. He was wearing a uniform that looked military but wasn't Preventer. It took a moment, but Duo soon recognized it as the old Alliance uniform. He had been surprised enough to see it that it had taken a moment for it to slide into place. The Owned now stood in an openly defensive stance. 

"I am Desolo, one of the Owned, not a creature," he hissed. "And it is no business of yours where my Master is." Tension in the air was nearly overwhelming and pressed upon the inexperienced recruits like a physical presence and most began to fidget.

"I am Admiral Dennis Burgardt," the man announced, obviously expecting recognition of his name. 

"That's very interesting since the Preventers here is the only para-military left on or off Earth and I have no clue who the fuck you are," the First's fangs were now bared and his tail swung silently behind him in a vaguely threatening pattern. 

The door opened and Duo tensed further, now in a blatantly ready stance. "It's alright, Duo," Zechs assured. "Une just told me about this man. Former Alliance, he's been hired on by the heads of the United Nation of the Earth Sphere Council to observe our training techniques and make sure that we're staying a para-military force rather becoming a military one." The blond Preventer placed a hand on his Owned's shoulder, but it didn't calm the braided Desolo any. "Admiral, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't egg my Desolo on. He is well within his rights to kill anyone he deems a threat to me. Right now, I'd say you're on thin ice."

"That this creature is being allowed to train cadets is unacceptable!" the former soldier raised his voice in a commanding tone. 

"Awfully hypocritical of you to say such things when you're surrounded by the scent of one of mine," the First's voice was a low threatening growl, a sound that no human throat could produce. "The Desolo are a very tactile race, Admiral," the word fell from his mouth like the vilest of insults. "We love to touch and be touched. Consequentially, our Masters have our scents all over them." He straightened then, sliding the trenchcoat off his shoulder in a almost sensual movement, then began to stalk over to the former admiral, deadly, deliberate grace in each movement. "Where's your Desolo, Admiral? Where's your Owned?" he queried coldly into Burgardt's ear when the former military man refused to back down. 

"Get away from him!" a familiar voice came this time, and violet eyes immediately lighted on a familiar figure. The thirty-second stood behind his Master, and Duo looked honestly surprised. 

"Little brother?" there was shock and no little pain in the First's voice as he called out to the youngest Owned, stepping towards him, a little confused. The formerly flesh-colored wings and tail were now the color of dried blood and to the First's mind, it didn't fit the youngest.

"Leave my Master alone, First," there was strength and an iciness to the thirty-second's tone that had not been there previously. Duo met turquoise that could not have possibly been human and there was a pain in those eyes that had not been. Instantly, the First turned to grab the Admiral's throat, when he was tackled to the floor. "Please, First, stop this!" the youngest begged, trying valiantly to keep his elder pinned. It was futile as he was thrown halfway across the room. Duo took a single leap and was airborne, circling the admiral like a bird of prey.

"Duo! Stop this!" Zechs called. 

"Abuser!" the Owned hissed down to the man. "What have you been doing to my brother?!" 

"DUO! Get down here, now!" the blond Preventer commanded. The First landed abruptly, caping his wings around his shoulders violently causing a reverberating sound to echo eerily through the suddenly silent room. The thirty-second scurried to shield his Master from the murderous gaze of the First. 

"First! Elder! Please, don't hurt him!" 

Violet eyes slid to his youngest brother and lingered for a moment, and the whole room took a breath. "You're right. I apologize for trying to attack your Master." The youngest sighed in relief until the eldest continued. "It is your place to kill him."

Turquoise eyes widened in shock and a gasped, almost inaudible "no" fell from his lips. 

"Look at you, my brother. You are terrified of your Master. We are Owned, yes, but we should never be afraid of our Masters. He is hurting you. You are within your rights to kill him, and find a more worthy human than that to be your Master." It was clearly by his tone that Duo was perfectly serious. 

"Duo, don't joke around like that!" Zechs snapped, a trace of fear in his voice. Violet eyes met ice.

"I would never joke about harming a Master. But this… man," the disdain in the word was palpable, "does not deserve the honor of the Desolo's love."

"You miserable creature! The Owned are tainted because of you!" Burgardt yelled to the First. 

"Duo, don't," Zechs warned calmly. "You don't want to hurt him."

"Like hell I don't," he growled, and stood his ground. "But it isn't my place." 

The admiral's face was turning nearly purple in his fury. "Thirty-two! Attack number one!" he yelled, temper getting the better of him.

The youngest turned to look at his Master in astonishment, features pale. "But—"

"I command you!" Turquoise met amethyst in apology briefly before attacking. Duo again ended up on his back, holding the younger Owned back.

"Try not to hurt him, Duo!" the blond Master called.

"Duh! You don't have to tell me that!" the braided Desolo called back, managing to flip the smaller Owned. Their eyes met and Duo barely had an instant to block the whip-like tail as it went for his throat, instead catching the larger Owned across the length of his arm. The sharp pain was enough to make Duo release him and the two broke apart. 

"Recruits! File out, single file!" Zechs' voice rang like a bell through the tense atmosphere of the gym. A handful or recruits jumped to do as he ordered, but most stayed stubbornly seated. "Recruits!"

"We won't abandon one of our commanding officers," a strong-willed student announced, standing up. "Whether or not he's human," he added. Duo blinked in shock. Just as a wide smile began to spread over his face, the thirty-second attacked again. The two rolled, and this time, the First stopped holding back. A quick slide of the foot had the youngest toppled from him and a grab at the tail threw him off even further. The braided Owned stood up swiftly taking to the air forcing the younger one to follow. Zechs felt a calm settle over him as he watched his Owned moving with effortless grace through the air and knew that now, the First was in total control of the situation, and would likely even be showing off a little bit for the sake of the students. Duo was now playing a familiar game of aerial tag with the youngest and was thoroughly enjoying egging him on. 

"Admiral, I suggest you call your Desolo off now, before I have to start pressing charges," the blond man stated, a small smile playing at his lips as he watched the show from the corner of his eye. He also noted how awed many of the students seemed.

"Pressing charges?" Burgardt looked shocked. 

"Assault with a deadly weapon, obviously," he shrugged. "You just used your Desolo as a weapon by telling him to attack Duo and I can't think of a whole lot more that would qualify as a 'deadly weapon' then the Desolo, can you?" The former prince's tone was deceptively nonchalant, his stance totally controlled. "Or this can continue until your Desolo gets hurt and then I can charge you with negligence as well."

The admiral was looking a bit pale now before he puffed his chest out importantly. "Nothing will happen to thirty-two," he announced, false confidence in his voice.

"I remember that particular Desolo. Duo taught him to fly. It hasn't been very long since he became Desolo… what makes you think that he can outdo the master of aerial tricks?" he asked, motioning above for emphasis where Duo was literally flying loops around the younger Owned, who appeared to be getting tired. "Stop this now, Admiral, give us a good review and we'll forget about the charges."

"That's blackmail!" Burgardt flushed again.

"So it is. But true is true. If you don't stop this, then I'll have to press charges," again, the deceptive disinterest.

"They'd never stick," there was a desperation in the former Alliance soldier's tone. 

Zechs' eyes locked on the other man's with a cool competence. "Shall we test that theory out?" The feigned indifference was gone, replaced by a tone that was very nearly a threat. 

The admiral shifted slightly, clearly debating with himself. He gritted his teeth then, without looking called, "Thirty-two! Cease the attack!"

"Come on down, Duo," Zechs couldn't help a small grin that twitched at his lips as the braided Owned completed a final loop before landing softly, not even breathing hard. He graced his Master with a beaming smile for a moment before turning back to the youngest who had landed a little clumsily and was clearly breathing hard. He knelt on one knee, head bowed before his enraged and humiliated Master. Duo was moving before he consciously thought about it. The admiral's hand came up and the black-winged Owned had thrown himself protectively over his brother, catching the hand in his tail, eyes glowing red and a low growl in his throat. 

"Release me!"

"You're not my Master," the First slowly stood, moving with barely contained violence and blood red orbs. "You can't order me. And I will not sit and watch one of mine be abused." A sharp yank to the trapped wrist sent the admiral moving in a very unnatural weave and landing flat on his face. 

"Stop!" the youngest Owned cried, grabbing Duo's arm and clinging to it, crying. "Please… stop hurting my Master…" a soft sniffle. "Please, Eldest…"

Violet eyes returned to normal and looked in pain at the youngest who was clinging to him like a life-line. "B—"

"Please…" tears spilled over pale cheeks and his grip tightened minutely. 

Chestnut brows knit in a mix of pain, anger and confusion. He clenched his hands into fists to tight that blood began to run between his fingers. He turned on the admiral with a murderous gaze. "Continue this abuse and you will die," his inhuman orbs drilled into the fallen man like a physical force. "That is not a threat, it is a promise. No one missuses the Desolo and survives it." He released the trapped wrist and placed a fatherly kiss on the top of the youngest's head, then turned and walked away, soundlessly, almost like a specter rather than a living being. 

Zechs didn't try to stop his Owned, and his heart ached with Duo's obvious pain. Concern flashed through his eyes as he noticed the tiny trail of blood drops that made a line to the door. He turned to Burgardt, icy rage filling him. The former Alliance leader looked up at him in shock, clutching his swollen wrist and standing up a little shakily. The blond Preventer glared down at the shorter man mercilessly. "I expect that we'll get a positive report, _Admiral,_" he gave an icy glance over his shoulder, then turned abruptly on his heel. "Recruits, file out, single file!" Everyone jumped to do as he said this time. The former prince stood at the door while the last of his recruits filed out, and gave a last word of advice. "You may want to get that wrist looked at." With that, the door closed on the admiral and his Owned with a very final ringing sound. 

TSUZUKU…

~~~~

Okay, soooo sorry this took so long to get out. I was out of town, then I'm holding down two jobs and I'm a full time student, then to top it all off, I got stuck. blames muse

Anyway, I want to thank everyone who reviewed:

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Skeren Dreamer: :huggles: Thank you for thinking so!

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Falafal: I'm glad that it's still pulling on your emotions. It means I'm doing something right.

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AikoNamika: frets Sorry I'm making you cry so much, but I'm glad at the same time. Like I said before, if I'm making you cry, I'm doing something right! Sorry this chap took so long to get out and it probably made you cry some more. I swear it was supposed to be lighter. I have no idea where it all came from scowls at muse

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Sol: You bet. I really swear, this was supposed to be a marginally lighter chapter then #32 came in and blew it all to hell. I'm glad Dorothy came out being IC, and I swear, I'll get to why Relena was acting a little OOC earlier. There just hasn't been a place for it yet.

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Gundam06serenity: I'm not giving away the ending, but no, I'm not going to kill Noin. That's called cheating to me, it's too easy sighs God forbid I make something easy. And here's your "more"

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Meliza Mac: I'm glad that I've impressed you so much. Reviews like that just make me beam. I'm glad everything's making sense (geez I'm "glad" a lot aren't I?) and that you love the idea of 6x2 as I've set it up. There are still quite a number of people, methinks, that are very irritated w/ me for it not being 1x2.

Further thanks to **karina, Christy, rikasakuraduo-heerosyliaspike, **and **Sukotto** for their reviews. Please keep 'em coming and I am going to try real hard to get the next chapter out w/ in reasonable time limits. 


	13. Chapter 13: I won't apologize for loving...

AN: I am sooooooo sorry this took so long to get out. I got caught up in my school and two jobs and a creative writing class that is unbelievably time consuming. Here it is, I swear I'm not done. 

Chapter 13:

Zechs had to nearly run to catch up with his Owned. He wasn't hard to follow, seeing as there was still a trail of blood marking his passage, and if it wasn't the blond's imagination, the trail seemed to be getting thicker. "Duo, stop for a moment!" he called once the First was in sight. Like a switch had been thrown, Duo halted in mid-stride and stood absolutely still as he waited for his Master to catch up. "Dammit," he muttered, grabbing a wrist and prying the fist open, revealing a bloody mess of shredded skin. He looked at the Owned's face and made to start a lecture, only to stop when he realized that Duo had yet to look at him. Violet eyes were still focused forward, barely restrained fury smoldering in their depths. The taller man sighed and gently took the First by the elbow and began to maneuver him to their shared office where a first aid kit was kept. There was really no reason to bring this to Sally, much as he was loath to admit it. She would just start asking a lot of questions that Zechs wasn't entirely sure he wanted to answer. If the damage was worse than it looked, he'd take the Owned to see her. Until then, it wasn't worth the stress that it would place on both. 

The blond Preventer yanked the two desk chairs so that they were close and sat Duo down as he pulled out the first aid kit, grabbing a lot of gauze and hydrogen peroxide. Zechs wasn't really sure how clean the Owned's talons had been before digging them into his palms, but he wasn't going to risk infection. Taking the first palm and a clean towel, he began to pour the peroxide over it liberally. The tensing of Duo's arm was the only sign of the sting it had to be causing, and that worried the blond greatly. Pausing as he wiped away the peroxide and blood to get a clearer look at the wound, he glanced at the First's face.

Totally blank. A poker face that would've done Heero or Trowa proud when they'd been at their peaks. The only sign of life in the features so reminiscent of legendary fey was the fury still ablaze in his eyes which almost seemed to glow. It was almost as if he were a statue but for those burning orbs, inhumanly beautiful, sitting ramrod straight and utterly still. It was worrisome. More than worrisome. 

"Duo?" he asked softly, pouring peroxide over the palm again, watching it fizz as it came into contact with the blood. "Duo?" he called again, now trying to keep the fear out of his voice. Something in his tone must have gotten through, because the Owned closed his eyes, a slow, deliberate movement, then seemed to melt into the chair. "Duo?" 

A deep, world-weary sigh was let out and suddenly, those ethereal features looked very, very old. "I'm sorry, did you say something?" He didn't open his eyes, and his tone held the same weariness that his sigh had.

"Duo, look at me," Zechs stated, calmer, more in control now that Duo was at least moving again. Slowly, amethystine orbs opened and met the blue of his Master's. "Talk to me, Duo." It was a tone that was very close to the one someone would use to talk down a potential jumper: calm, reasonable, and very, very careful. It earned the blond a rueful scoff. 

"I'm not going to self-destruct, Zechs. Please don't talk to me like I will," his eyes still held a little pain, too much age that was usually hidden, but there was also a touch of amusement, morbid as it may be. 

"You scared me. I've never seen you act like that before," Zechs confided, a little bit of the confusion and fear he'd felt seeping into the words. 

Duo looked sharply as his Master hearing the emotions and his eyes softened. He made to reach out to the blond then, stopped, seeming to remember his torn hands and hissed. "Wow, I really did a number on 'em didn't I?" he let out a long breath. "Sorry I scared you."

Finishing up the first hand, convinced that it wasn't going to start bleeding again, Zechs took the second, and began to clean it. "You going to tell me what brought that on?" his tone was conversational now, almost disinterested. "You were nearly catatonic."

Duo hissed as the peroxide was poured over his palm like liquid electricity, but he wasn't fooled by his Master's tone. "Do you want the real reason, or the surface reason?" he delayed slightly.

Zechs gave him a look through his bangs for a moment before pouring more peroxide. "You can start with the surface reason, but I want the real one too."

"I'm the First. I hate truly fighting with other Owned," he sighed, hissing a little bit. "We weren't meant to fight one another. And I absolutely hate that the youngest is being abused," there was a growl in his voice as he said the last part. 

Zechs nodded and continued prodding the palm until he was certain it was done bleeding before taking antibacterial and smearing it over the palm. "That's a little more than a surface reason, but go on." Duo started to clench his fists again as he thought about it but the blond stopped him. "Don't do that again. Keep this up and you won't have a palm left. I'm half-surprised that you didn't tear any ligaments or nerves." He began to wrap gauze around the hand.

"Sorry… I just…" he gritted his teeth, hate re-alighting in his eyes. "I hate abusers…" the vehemence in his tone nearly made his Master put physical space between them. He stopped in mid-wrap and felt himself frozen by the sheer malevolence in the Owned's now glowing crimson gaze. "There is nothing more on or off the Earth I hate more…" Only the gentle weight of Zechs' hands on his own kept them from curling up and delivering more damaging tears. Again, the pain so evident in his Owned tore at the former prince's heart. He was surprised when Duo leaned forward and curled his arms and head into his Master's lap, and began to sob quietly. "I hate that he won't defend himself…" the whispered words, choked out between soft whimpers almost escaped the blond's ears. Almost. 

In response, Zechs rolled his chair a little closer and allowed the crying Owned to cling to him a little more easily, and stroked the braid tenderly. It was still so odd to see the proud pilot break down into tears, but Duo's newly revealed vulnerability touched his Master deeply. Soon, Duo was not the only one clinging.

~*~

Noin felt anger swell within her. Duo's head was in *her* fiancé's lap. Worse yet, Zechs was running a hand absently through the lose man of chestnut that was the Owned's hair. It fell like a cloak about the First and puddled on the floor. That impractical mass had been braided when they'd left that morning. The blond's office was dark. What was going on in there?!

"Zechs!" her voice was sharp, on the edge of accusatory. He looked up sharply but the First didn't blink. He'd heard her approch the office, been able to smell Noin's fury like a harsh perfume.

"Lucy?" Zechs asked, voice surprised but not guilty. "What are you doing here?" Duo winced mentally. Wrong question.

"What? Am I not allowed to see my fiancé at work now?" her voice was level with something under it which made the statement sound shrill. 

"You know, I didn't mean it that way," he sighed.

The shorthaired woman stepped in, closed the door and turned on the lights. "Why are you holding him like that?"

Sky eyes blinked for a moment, as if to say "like what?" before realizing the potentially compromising position he and his Owned were in. Duo hadn't moved, watching everything almost unnaturally still, silently, intently, violet spheres unblinking. "I was just comforting him. We ran into another Owned whose Master…" he trailed off, hoping she understood.

"That doesn't explain why you're playing with his hair," there was real anger in her voice now. Zechs' hand froze in its tracks. "Comforting your little pet is all well and good, but there's no reason to have taken down his hair," she scowled. 

In the back of his mind, the former prince wondered when he had taken Duo's hair down, but anger pushed the wayward thought away. "Don't call him that." His voice was low, hostility entering it.

"Don't call him what?"

"My pet. Duo is his own person."

"Well, what else am I supposed to call him when he's kneeling at your side, being pet like a prized dog?" Noin sneered. Duo couldn't help but think how unflattering the expression was on her face.

Zechs almost pulled away from the Desolo until he realized he had no reason to pull away. The blond Preveneter rested his hand on Duo's head. His failure to push the First away apparently angered his fiancée greatly. She let out a sound of frustration and turned on her heel.

"Fine! If you want to play with your little whore, then stay away from me!" she stomped out. The Owned's eyes had lit up in red hate momentarily at the word "whore" but made no other move.

"Lucy!" Zechs moved to go after her, but Duo grabbed his hand. 

"Let her go. She just needs some time to cool off," he advised.

Zechs turned somewhat lost eyes on the younger man. "But we weren't doing anything wrong," it sounded almost pleading and the First sat up.

"You're right. We weren't doing anything wrong, but she should have more faith in your love for her. She's just uneasy because she knows I love you," he took his Master's hand and gently pressed a kiss to his palm. The former prince snatched his hand away.

"With your doing things like that, it's no wonder she's jumping to conclusions," he gave the Desolo a cool glare and Duo returned his gaze without flinching, finally forcing Zechs to look away. 

"I won't apologize for loving you," he stated, tone soft, but firm. "I won't apologize for my emotions period, but I certainly am not going to apologize for loving you." 

The steady honesty in Duo's inhuman eyes made Zechs feel vaguely ashamed. It was not Duo's fault that he loved his Master. It was not Zechs' that he was helplessly attracted to his Owned. If anyone was at fault, it was Kelvare, and he had already paid the ultimate price.

The violet-eyed Owned laid his head against Zechs' knee again. "I won't ever apologize for loving you. If you think of me only as your pet, then, as long as that makes you happy, I will gladly be your pet," the First's voice was soft but clear in the small office. 

"Don't speak of yourself that way!" the blond protested, lifting Duo's face. "You deserve so much more, Duo," he sighed, feeling at a loss.

A harsh laugh came from the Owned's throat. "Me?" he asked with derision. "I'm the one who deserves Burgardt, not my brother. You are so much better than what I deserve," he countered, but saw the protesting look on his Master's face. "Okay," he conceded. "What do you think I deserve?"

Dawn colored eyes gazed into twilight for a long moment before answering. "Someone who will love you as you love them. Someone who… can love you as you need to be loved. As you deserve to be…"

The Desolo just gave his Master a small, appeasing smile reminiscent of a parent indulging a child. "Someone like Heero, right?" he shook his head. "You are my Master, Zechs. There is no one else for me anymore," he gave an almost beatific smile and closing his eyes, knelt up to place a gentle kiss on the blond's forehead, then on each cheek and a final, soft, barely there kiss to the lips. "I'm not the one who deserves better," he whispered. "It's you."

Without warning, the violet-eyed man was up and at the door. "Back to work," he reminded quietly, then was gone, leaving his Master touching his face, the places the Owned had kissed almost reverently, a little stunned and more confused than he had been before. 

~~~~~

THANKS TO:::

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Gundam06serenity: we shall see. But like I said, taking out a character by killing them is cheating but what's going to happen to the rocky couple…innocent smile

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Karina: we'll see

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SKEREN DREAMER: Thanks for the great review. So sorry it took soooooo long to get out. Here's the chapter. I was just waiting to get it back from my beta. Thanks for still watching out for me ^_^

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Falafal: ^_^ About Burgardt, well… I've got plans for him. You'll have to wait to see.

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Spismn: blushes Wow. Great compliments. Now I feel truly like a heel for waiting so long.

Also thanks to **Sandy, Kittens'n'silk, **and **Scythe3** and anyone else who's stuck w/ me so long. Promise the next'll be out soon, within two weeks.


	14. Chapter 14: And I want it to stop!

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Note: I sooooo sincerely apologize for this getting out so late. I had it done last Saturday (like I was supposed to) but I wasn't happy w/ it so I sent it to my beta who's comp is on the fritz and didn't deign to tell me till tonight. So we spent two hours… excuse me three, sprucing this up and I split it up, meaning the next chapter should be out in reasonable time, but after my last failed deadline, no promises. Sorry again about the wait.

Chapter 14:

There were hushed whispers about the prowess and awesome danger of the Preventers' Desolo for the next couple weeks, and Duo and Zechs' recruits proved to be more cooperative than ever. If Une ever got wind of the confrontation with Burgardt, she didn't mention anything about it. It was a relief to the blond Preventer to know that things at work were going well. The situation at home had gotten progressively more tense.

~~~

A month after Burgardt's inspection Noin reminded her fiancé that they were indeed engaged and getting married next month. She smiled at him coquettishly and sat on his lap in a proprietary manner, lacing her arms around his neck.

Zechs repressed the urge to sigh heavily, and began in a soothing tone as he placed one hand on her hip and his other on her thigh. "I'm really sorry, Lucy, but I think it's best we put the wedding off—" seeing the look on her face, he was quick to add, "—just until Duo's a little more settled in. I promise, Lucy."

"No! Absolutely not! You have put off our wedding for almost a year and a half now. Do you realize that? And for what? For him, that's what!" she retorted, pain overridden by anger in her voice as she jumped up indignantly. 

"I'm sorry, Lucy, but I really think this is best. I just want us to all settle in a little better. None of us are still quite… relaxed with the situation," he stated carefully. "And I really believe that to get married when it's still so soon after Duo moving in would only…upset the balance we're in the middle of trying to set up," the blond's voice was very calm as he reached for her hand.

"It's been two months already!" she snapped, before taking a calming breath and continuing. "Maybe it would be best if we got married and just let him get used to it after that?" the dark-eyed woman offered. "I mean, he'll have to get used to it sooner or later."

Zechs paused and thought about it for a moment before shaking his head in a soft disagreement of a motion. "I think we should find our balance before the wedding," he was very careful not to make it sound as though he was disregarding her idea. "If we can't find it before, I don't think we'll manage to find it after," he added very softly. "Please, Lucy?" It had been very tempting to try to use a puppy-dog expression, but frankly, he wasn't very good at it and usually ended up looking silly and overdone. Instead, he softened his features into an expression that wasn't quite pathetic, and was just short of pleading, making him look very sincere somehow. 

Lucy sighed heavily. "Fine, but this is the last delay, Zechs," she hardened her voice. 

"I know. I swear, it's the last one, Luce."

"It had better be."

Zechs had hoped that a little more time and less wedding-related stress would make things at home better. He had hoped in vain. Noin and Duo still nit-picked at one another constantly, with anywhere from snide jabs to painful barbs. Zechs was getting very tired of it.

This was the case the Tuesday two weeks after the wedding's delay as Noin was making dinner. Zechs was going over some basic training stats. Duo was fluttering between the two of them, not really needed at either. Meatloaf was a fairly simple dish by a housewife's standards, but for Noin, the former military soldier, it was fairly complex and required a certain amount of concentration. Duo, who had proven to be a surprisingly good cook, had been trying to make suggestions almost the entire time. Noin finally snapped.

"I don't see why there's an animal in the kitchen!" she hissed. Zechs began to rub his temples lightly.

"At least this _animal_ knows how to cook!" Duo shot back. 

"I won't have you getting _your_ scales in _my_ food!" 

The Desolo made a face. "I don't have scales."

"Your _fur_ then!"

"The only fur I have is hair, though I do suppose I have more of that than you—not that that's a real accomplishment—"

"Stop it! Both of you!" Zechs interrupted sharply. Duo fell silent without needing any other provocation. Noin glowered and stamped out quickly, the door slamming behind her. The blue-eyed man turned to the Owned. "Why do you have to start in on her like that—always nit-picking!" he demanded. 

Duo looked a little indignant. "I wasn't trying to give her a hard time. I was just giving her some tips. It's hardly my fault if she can't take some simple advice," he looked away.

"It's not just to night, Duo! You two are _always_ at one another's throats! And I want it to stop!"

"But, Zechs—" the First tried to protest. 

"I mean it, Duo! I want you to stop antagonizing Lucy!" There was a sharpness, an almost anger that made the Desolo stop arguing.

"Yes, Zechs," he conceded softly, looking ashamed.

The blond man almost took it back when he saw the downcast expression. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I'm going to find Lucy," he informed, heading for the door.

"What do you want me to do with dinner?" there was a soft submissiveness, a not quite fear that pained the older man to hear.

"Just… finish it and put it away. I don't think any of us can handle a nice sit-down dinner tonight," he decided. The door clicked softly behind him as he left.

Duo stood silently in the quiet house, hyper-aware of the normal sounds around him. He was struck with a pang of despair before he forced it down resolutely. 

"I just have to be more patient," he whispered into the stillness.

~~~

The house was quiet when Zechs and Noin got home nearly two hours later. The two had gotten a small dinner at the café around the corner and taken a long walk and just used the time to talk. The dark-haired woman was exhausted and allowed herself to be tucked into bed with little protest. The blond assured her he'd be to bed just as soon as he made sure everything had been cleaned up and put away. Worn out, Noin was asleep before the door was all the way closed. He glanced into what had been the guest bedroom, and was now Duo's room, only to find that the Owned wasn't in bed. He wasn't really surprised. Duo never went to bed before he did. 

Zechs padded down the stairs quietly and into the kitchen. The Preventer had to admit that it looked phenomenal. He wasn't sure that the kitchen had been that clean since they'd moved in. But Duo wasn't there. Getting a couple glasses of water, Zechs set out for the living room. Sure enough, the Desolo was curled in the room's only recliner. He had pulled it up to the large bay window and pulled the curtain back. Duo's long hair spilled around him like silver water in the moonlight. The pale light seemed to wash all the colors out of the normally vibrant Owned, pale-looking wings caped around his pulled up knees like twin storm clouds. The one-time prince was struck once again by how attractive Duo really was. He truly looked like something more than human, something higher than human, really. 

Almost in slow motion, Duo turned and looked at his Master, eyes gone silver in the faded light and an instant later, the effect was ruined. Duo had somehow managed to tie half of his hair in an astounding multitude of bows of every size and shape, most of them loose in the soft mane. Zechs couldn't help the surprised laugh that escaped him as he went to the First's side, offering him a glass of water. Duo took it with a soft "thank you" and took a sip, giving the blond a raised eyebrow.

The movement just made Zechs laugh again as he went to Duo's side and gently poked at one of the bows. "What did you do to yourself?" The barely repressed laugh made Duo finger the twists with a slightly abashed smile. 

"I guess I just wasn't really paying attention," he admitted, unfurling just a bit. 

Zechs set his glass on the side table, and reached for the Owned. "Let me help you with that," he insisted, beginning to gently unwind the bows.

"I am sorry about bugging Noin," he stated softly as his Master tenderly handled his hair. 

"You know, I have to wonder, where did you get to be such a good cook?" he asked, stealing a glance at the violet-eyed face. "I mean, I've seen you grill and such before, but it never really occurred to me until tonight that you really are a good cook."

"Hmm? It's just like making bombs. You have to do things carefully and precisely and it comes out great. You mess something up and well," he gave an exaggerated wince. "You don't really wanna be around." The reply got another soft laugh from the blond.

"Only you would compare cooking and demolitions, Duo," he shook his head, a fond smile playing across his features as the last ribbon slipped free. Duo's brush was lying on the side table as he'd obviously been brushing the mass out earlier. Zechs grabbed the brush and began to run it through the Owned's hair. It was only a matter of moments before Duo was purring contentedly, tail swinging lazily from side to side.

Zechs continued to brush Duo's hair in comfortable silence until the purring faded into soft breathing. Violet eyes opened sleepily as the brush made a soft click as it was set down. "Bedtime, sleepy head," he stated softly, flipping a lock of Duo's shoulder.

"Hmm, kay," the Desolo stood in a movement of pure grace and stretched, making the blond realize for the first time that he was dressed for bed and that the strange robe-like garment showed the First's torso off very nicely through the loose sides. His wings were stretching effortlessly around the things near him as his arms moved upward. A soft glissando of cracks wove its way through the quiet, ending with a soft relieved sigh. He let out an undignified yip as he was suddenly swept off his feet and instinctively wrapped his arms around Zechs' shoulders for a grip. "Sweet Shinigami, Zechs, I can walk!" he complained as his Master carried him up the stairs, and set him down on the bed. It took an almost painful act of self-control not to pull his Master down with him. 

Zechs placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and let him go. "Good night, Duo," he stated softly, closing the door all but a crack behind him. He didn't see his Owned almost reach for him only to pull back at the last moment. He didn't see the pained expression on his Owned's face as he walked out or watch the black wings curl around the lithe body like a shield. 

A moment later, Duo slipped down into his cat-like bed at the foot of the twin-size that Noin told him he was supposed to sleep in. His thoughts were confused. He'd wanted so badly to reach for Zechs. So badly to ask him to stay. But Zechs had just walked out. The kiss to his forehead had been almost parental but almost… what? Duo didn't know. He wasn't sure Zechs knew either. He curled in the smaller cat-like bed, hoping to gain some comfort from the reminder of what he was. As his wings settled about him he knew it wasn't that Duo didn't know what he was: Zechs didn't know what he wanted him to be.

~~~

TBC

Note: again, so sorry about the wait. Hope it was worth it. Since it's 1 AM and I gotta be at work at 8:30 tomorrow, here's just a quick thanks to my reviewers (beautiful people you all are): **Crysania Fay, Duo's pet, karina, Skeren Dreamera, Falafal, Celece, **and** gundam06serenity.**

Thanks again.


	15. Chapter 15: But they're not human not an...

Author's Note: forgive me for the long wait. Been busy and computer-less for the past month. Here's the next chapter.

Relena suppressed the urge to pull her hair and scream in frustration. She and Heero had been dating for a month and a half, starting shortly after Duo had reappeared. It was an effort on both their parts to try to help him get over his former lover.

It was failing fantastically.

The longhaired woman repressed another sigh as she decided that the description wasn't really fair. The two weeks of more-or-less blind dates immediately following Duo's return, now _that_ was failing fantastically.

The first date, Relena had invited an acquaintance of hers to dinner with Heero, staying herself as a chaperone. She'd been relieved when Heero accepted with no real discussion.

Dinner had been at the same small, out of the way Italian restaurant they were at now called La Stalla. The food was wonderful, the service fast and friendly and the place discreet enough that even Heero could come down out of hyper-aware mode a bit. It was a favorite of Relena's, and by extension, a frequent of the pilots'. Relena had hoped that in a place as familiar as La Stalla's with her there, Heero could relax just a little.

She'd been right, unfortunately.

Georgette was a nice young woman, pretty but not a beauty, with a soft pleasant voice. She had a tendency to talk a great deal when she was nervous, or chatter might be a more appropriate term. She'd been ecstatic when she'd heard about the invitation from Relena for a date with one of her friends. She had chattered through dinner, with Heero saying little, if anything. Relena knew him well enough to know he'd basically tuned the woman out, but was relieved he was comfortable enough to do it. After telling a particularly amusing joke and receiving no response from Heero, Georgette, finally became annoyed by the feeling of being ignored, reached over the table to wave her hand in front of Heero's face, asking if he'd been listening.

Relena had felt like she was watching the whole scene in slow motion. She knew the instant she saw Georgette's hand move that there would be no good end to that. Sure enough, Heero caught sight of it in his peripheral from where he'd been staring out the window, and was shaken out of his complacency so that he nearly leapt across the table and tackled the woman to the floor.

There'd been no recovering the evening from that.

Relena decided not to act as a chaperone again.

The second attempt at setting Heero up, hearing from Marisa, had not gone any better. Heero had arrived at the young woman's house, only to be greeted by an over-zealous father. An over-zealous father with a hobby for mechanics. Enthused by the thought of having a real Gundam pilot in his home, he'd dragged Heero off to the garage. Marisa hadn't been able to drag the two away from the collection of old cars and her father's current restoration projects. She'd kindly, but pointedly informed Relena that while she was certain that Heero was a good man, she just couldn't stand a man who would ditch her to stare at cars and get grungy. Relena had repressed the urge to inform her that next to food, anything that runs or is mechanical is bound to lure a good ninety percent of men away from even the prospect of a evening with a beautiful girl.

She'd been reminded of something Duo had told her the one time she had pointedly asked him what he loved above all else.

"Three things I love most in the world, 'Lena: food, machines and Heero. Not necessarily in that order, of course," he'd winked. The memory had pulled at something in her chest so she'd not mentioned it.

They'd only gone progressively downhill from there. It had not taken anyone very long to realize that the former pilot couldn't date anyone he didn't know extremely well. Or anyone who didn't know him fairly well for that matter. After the fifth disaster…er, date, Relena had stepped in and offered. At the time, Heero had accepted with a bit of relief. However…

She wasn't doing much better.

Heero was withdrawn, excessively introspective. He made a few attempts at conversation, but somehow, something always came up that reminded him of Duo. He had tried to drown himself in his work, but his friends knew from experience that wouldn't do any good and had stopped the effort before it truly had a chance to begin.

After nearly three months, Relena felt she could safely describe Heero as "coping."

Barely.

If asked if it was better for Duo to be back or if it was better when he was gone, Relena would have been hard-pressed to choose. At least before he'd been clinging stubbornly to hope. Now…

Duo had moved on. The former lovers didn't see each other much, but the braided man was always cordial, happy and friendly, but always just distant enough to refuse Heero the illusion of what had been. It was painful to watch.

"Relena?"

She jumped. Lost in her thoughts as she'd been, Heero had caught her off guard. She steadied her water glass for a moment before replying. "Yes, Heero?"

"It's been bugging me for a while now, but… you… you're just so accepting of the Desolo. I just can't figure out _why?_"

Relena gave him a soft smile across the table.

"I can't believe you didn't ask that sooner," she admitted. He moved his food around his plate artlessly for a moment.

"I thought I'd be able to figure it out. But it just seems to go against what you fundamentally believe in."

"You're right," she agreed without preamble, folding her hands together under her chin. "I was appalled when I first heard about the Desolo. It was Cain who changed my mind. Duo excepted… It's a lifestyle choice. These people choose to become Desolo. I was still very much against it until I realized how happy Cain is. It's a little hard to complain when the people who choose it won't," she pointed out. "I still hate that experiments were done on humans but…" she sighed. "I've also come to the conclusion that the Desolo need to be controlled the way they are. They have to have some deeply imbedded loyalty to keep them from going out of control. It's an unfortunate necessity. If the Desolo exist, they have to be carefully controlled."

A dark look crossed Heero's face. "It just makes them seem like animals."

"You should know by now, that the Desolo are far from animals," picking up her fork again, she grabbed a small bite of her dinner before continuing. "But they aren't human, Heero… Not anymore…"

TBC

Ugh major brainstorm about twenty minutes ago, so maybe stuff'll start coming again. Absolutely no promises on this one, though, another (and I'm getting tired of apologizing) apology for being so late with it. Also, ANOTHER apology for the length (or lack there-of) in this chapter. It just ended so flippin' well right there. I really am disappointed w/ how short it is. Will try to make the next longer. My muse appears to have abandoned me.

Major thanks to my reviewers:

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SKEREN DREAMERA: thanks for yelling at me. Sorry it still took so long. Also thanks for keeping faith in me and sending that review my way.

Shinimegami7, The Chaotic Ones, Katrice, Windy River, Dark-English-Rose, Ladystartlightdstarnight fairy, Celece, falafal, Karina ****

Staplersbreak: as you have just seen, I'm far from done with Heero. I have plans for that one I do. crosses fingers

Also, while my computer was lost, I got a little bit of drawing done, including the pic I promised of Desolo Duo with proportionate wings (you know, some that may actually hold him when he flies) and one with the 32nd. Both are in the sketchbook section of my homepage: www. Angelselene. Deviantart. Com (remember to take out spaces). Once I get a good line drawing of both, I'll start working on coloring.

As always: reviews are more than welcome.


	16. Chapter 16: Damn him anyway

Chapter 16:

Heero closed the door to his apartment softly behind him then locked it almost hesitantly. Another get together that held no progress, that felt empty. Just trying to pretend that things were OK. He let himself lean against the door for support for a moment before pushing himself inside. He'd ate almost nothing at the restaurant and was now hungry, or at least his body demanded food. His throat felt tight but maybe he could force something down.

He opened the fridge and started at the scant contents. Some carrots, a head of lettuce that didn't look as though it was fairing too well, a twelve pack of beer and a couple of eggs… Duo would've been able to throw something together—thrown a feast together from the meager offerings.

Heero checked the cupboard and found a lone pack of instant ramen. He determinedly grabbed a pot, filled it with water and tossed it on the stove. Standing over it as he waited for it to boil, the feeling of strong, wiry arms going around his waist, the brush of bangs next to his cheek, a sharp chin sat upon his shoulder and the feeling of warm breath in his ear hit him so hard, felt _so_ real that Heero reached for the arm that wasn't there. When he was met with nothing he stood, still shocked, oblivious to the boiling water on the stove until he felt a drop land on his arm.

He jumped as if scalded, but it wasn't water from the stove, he found as he touched his face. It was tears. It was becoming an almost daily occurrence. It was still so strong, the sense that Duo was there. Over a year since Duo had held him that way. God, why hadn't the memories faded? How was it possible that they were still so strong?

How much had those same memories faded for Duo? How could he offer such a carefree smile when they met in the halls? How could he have forgotten when the memories were still so damned _powerful_?

Heero hadn't felt himself sink to the floor and didn't hear the pot as it boiled over. The once perfect soldier couldn't hear anything but the heartbroken sound of his own sobs echoing in his ears, body trembling with the force of them.

Why couldn't he move on? Why couldn't he be happy?

His sobs degenerated into near hysterical laughs as those questions taunted him. He knew. Of course he knew. He'd never really been happy before Duo and now that Duo was with someone else, he had no idea how to be happy anymore. Duo was his happiness, his strength, his heart—his hope. Duo was his future, his everything. He'd not realized how much so until Duo wasn't there anymore.

But now Duo was back… and he was happy…but he was happy with Zechs. Zechs, who didn't need him. Zechs, who had Noin. Zechs, who had no idea just how blessed he was to have Duo and wouldn't treat him with half of the love and respect that Heero did.

He had the sudden image of Zechs at a stove and Duo coming up behind him, slipping his arms around the other man's waist, popping his head between the man's body and his elbow—the thought caused such a violent reaction he was almost sick.

There had to be a way to get Duo back—there just _had_ to.

Because Heero was not moving on. In fact, did not want to move on. He wanted his beloved back, clung stubbornly to that fraction of a hope that there was some way to change him back and change him back soon. Because living with this unending pain would soon become unbearable.

Without Duo, there was no future, but it seemed that to Duo, there was no past. Which left Heero just trying to survive from one instant to the next. It wasn't living, it was barely existing and he was quickly running out of the energy to keep it up—the will to.

Heero had no idea what would happen when he lost it. He just hoped that when it went, it would take the pain with it. _That_, maybe, he could live with. He'd have to… for his sanity's sake…

There had to be an end to this. There had to be. He was not some idealistic little girl dreaming for her prince on a white horse. His own comparison sparked his anger. He had never been unrealistic before. He had never been one to wallow in anything. He had certainly never wallowed in his pain. He felt it, dealt with it, then moved on.

He wasn't moving on now. And it was Duo's fault. Before Duo, none of this would've been a problem. If it weren't for Duo, he wouldn't be going through this, and neither would he be dragging Relena through it with him. Of course, if it weren't for Duo, he probably wouldn't have cared whether or not he dragged Relena through anything. But she was a big girl now anyway, no one dragged her through anything she didn't let them. Why had he even _thought_ that he had any influence over what anyone else did? People were individuals, dammit. They did as they would. His thinking was warped because Duo had warped it.

And damn him for screwing up all of Heero's hard won control. Who the hell did he think he was, trying to change another individual? That wasn't his place! It wasn't anyone's damned place!

Heero pushed himself off the floor and grabbed the pot off the stove, throwing it forcefully at the sink, the little water remaining splashing out over the counter and a little spattering back at him. Heero ignored it. It was just physical pain. Everyone knew he did not have a problem with physical pain. And he shouldn't be reduced to crying by that capricious little bastard! He wrenched open the fridge and grabbed a beer, slamming the door with enough force to shake the whole unit.

He was glad the stupid street rat was with Zechs now. Let the prince deal with the pauper. He opened the can and took a long drink before slamming it down on a clear counter. The bottom crumpled, but fairly well. They deserved each other. The can was crushed in his fist, spilling the sticky alcohol all over his hand. Heero glowered at the thing in disgust and threw it as the sink as well, shaking his hand violently to get the beer off it. Goddamned, ungrateful little thief! To hell with him! If he never heard the name… never thought of the face of Duo Maxwell again, it would be too soon!

Heero leaned on the sink and met his eyes in the mirror. His mind supplied Duo's habit of slipping up behind him and Heero slammed his fist into the mirror where Duo's face would've been if the brat had been behind him. He looked at the cuts on his hand and growled.

Damn him anyway.

TBC

Note: thanks to everyone who reviewed, and especially thanks to Skeren Dreamera and Silverrosefox who kept bugging me. Desolo is not dead, and there is now an end in sight. The only promise I have is that I still intend it to be a 6x2, all other bets are off. bows deeply Thank you so much for helping me keep my story alive.


	17. Chapter 17: You don't

"Hey, Christina," Noin said warmly to the woman sitting at the desk, looking as if she were in a hurry to leave. Christina had been Zechs' secretary since he'd joined the Preventers. A bright, frighteningly competent woman in her late twenties, she and Noin had hit it off almost instantly.

Christina's face lit up. "Heya, stranger. Haven't seen you around much lately."

"Things have been a bit busy," Noin admitted a little abashed. "Is Zechs in?"

Christina shifted a couple of folders around her desk. "Actually, he's got someone in there. I was just about to let him know I was heading out for lunch. Lemme just give him a head's up," she hit the button for the intercom. "Agent Wind, I'm about to head out for lunch. And Lucy's here to see you," she informed.

"Thank you for reminding me, Christina. Take your time," he responded, a little distracted.

The secretary sent a smile at her friend. "I'd say that's a 'come on in.'"

"Thanks, Christina," Noin replied, raising her eyebrow at the compact that came out of the other agent's purse. "A date?"

The other woman glared. "Yes, if you must know. Not all of us can catch our prince charmings on our first try," she stuck out her tongue, glanced at her watch then sent an apologetic look at Noin. "And I'm gonna be late. Take care." And she rushed out.

Noin turned her attention to the closed door.

The intercom went silent and Zechs turned his attention fully on the recruit standing before him.

"Zechs, Noin's coming in," Duo warned, aware that his master's attention hadn't been fully on what Christina had said as he'd been scrutinizing Recruit Burgardt's file.

Clear blue eyes blinked at him, and he made a soft sound that replaced the curse he clearly wanted to hiss. Things had been getting consistently tenser at home despite his order to Duo not to fight with Noin, or perhaps because of it. And he was sure Noin wanted to "talk about it." "I'm busy. Tell her to go away, will you?" he more or less ordered.

Duo nodded and slipped out the door.

It had been a long week. A long few weeks, really. Things at work had actually smoothed out extremely well after Duo's confrontation with the Admiral. The only one who would still occasionally shoot ugly looks at Duo or Zechs when he thought they weren't looking was the same recruit who had looked so smug when Admiral Burgardt had paid a visit. Duo didn't care as long as he did what he was told, but it turned out that Recruit Charles Burgardt was the Admiral's nephew. The boy had gotten caught this past weekend driving drunk and with traces of drugs in his system. He should've been kicked out of the unit – hell he should have been thrown in jail, but apparently his Uncle Admiral had pulled some strings to get the brat where he was, and he was pulling strings to keep him there. Duo had been standing in the corner of his office watching the recruit stand proudly in front of Zechs' desk. He had an ego that came only from being raised with everything and being taught to look down his nose at anything "lower" than himself.

Zechs did not want someone who was stupid enough to drive drunk or imbibe illegal substances anywhere near his unit or equipment, so needless to say, he was less than happy when the news had reached him and he hadn't been allowed to kick the boy to the curb.

Truth be told, he'd been rather looking forward to watching Zechs dress the arrogant little brat down, and training was going to get interesting. While they were unable to kick the boy out, they could, and judging by the set in Zechs' shoulders would, _encourage_ him to withdraw of his own will. Or drive him to it. He was looking forward to it.

But for now, he got to deal with Noin.

Duo closed the door behind him just as Noin had been reaching for the knob. He planted himself firmly in front of the door and met her narrow eyed look evenly.

"What are you—"

"Don't," he interrupted sharply, a coldness in his voice she hadn't heard in some time. "Don't start. I'm not going to argue with you because Zechs told me not to, so don't you start one."

She glared at the Desolo, unwilling to be intimidated by his tone. "I came here to see Zechs, not you," she responded, just as coldly, going to move past him.

Duo did not budge, in fact, blocked the door more completely. "You don't," he said flatly.

"_Excuse_ me?" Noin stood at her full height and glared down at the Owned with the same look that had made many an OZ recruit tremble. The former gundam pilot was unaffected.

"You don't see him. And right this second, he doesn't want to see you."

"What do you mean, 'I don't see him'!" she demanded.

"I mean you don't see _him_. You still see that lonely, desperate, very confused solider. The pacifists' prince with bloody hands, buried in his own guilt. The same man you abandoned the final battle to _watch_ fight Heero, half-insane, to an end that was damned likely to kill them both!" he paused, long enough to let the point set in but not long enough for her to say anything. "You pitied him, and tried to take care of him, heal him. You ignored the fact he was deeply in love with Treize, and pursued him relentlessly, and yes, he encouraged you by going out with you in the first place. And, doubtless, you've helped him a lot, but you still want him to need you to take care of him, to hold him together. He doesn't need it anymore. He started dating you because he felt he was supposed to. I don't doubt he loves you on some level, but I do doubt you're in love with him. You don't see clearly how stabilized, how secure in himself he's become since then. You don't really want to."

The look on Noin's face was hard to describe. It was shocked, angry, but under it was not a little fear and it was gone almost as fast as it had come. Some part of the Owned almost felt sorry for her and wondered if she'd even realized it herself.

The former Lieutenant gathered herself remarkably, chest rising as she took a deep breath. "_That _is _none _of your business, which is besides the point because you… are… wrong…" she hissed out, voice choked, angry tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"I'm not wrong. You don't see Zechs. I don't think you even see Milliardo anymore. You only see the image of what he was."

"Let me see him," she demanded, trying to regain control.

His reply was soft but icy, "No. I told you, he doesn't want to see you, now _go away_."

"Liar!" she yelled, pushing past him with surprising force just as the door opened from the inside and Recruit Burgardt found himself in the middle of quite the scene. Zechs was directly behind the boy. Noin shoved both Duo and the recruit aside and ran to Zechs. The Desolo aimed a glare at Burgardt that sent the kid off in a hurry, then turned his attention back to the not-quite crying Noin and Zechs looking very much at a loss as he tried to comfort her.

"Shh…" he rubbed her arms gently. "Calm down, it's all right… Duo, what the hell did you say to her?" his master growled, though he didn't wait for an answer before turning his attention back to Noin. "Hey, why don't we go get an early lunch?" he offered, grabbing a Kleenex off a shelf and letting his fiancée blow her nose. She couldn't find her voice but nodded and Zechs allowed her a few moments to collect herself, shooting his Desolo a look that clearly said they were going to discuss this later. "Duo, you stay here—"

"But—"

"I need you to review all of the recruits for our team. I'll bring lunch back for you," the blond informed, voice unrelenting as he turned without waiting for a response.

Anger rose in the Desolo's throat as the First bowed deeply and softly replied, "Yes, Master."

If Zechs heard his Owned, he showed no sign of it.

My muse is back. That makes me the extreme of happy. And my beta reader is the best. Hope you enjoyed. Comments encouraged, not required.

On another note, I was going to continue putting this up on Adult Fanfiction . net, but I seem to have lost my account (probably cause I didn't touch it for too long). The story is still there, but I can't alter it. I'll also be posting new chapters on my livejournal, for the interested: www . angelselene . livejournal . com


	18. Chapter 18: There is no past

To say that Admiral Dennis Burgardt was unhappy was something of an understatement. He had been forced to call in a favor to save his nephew from the fallout of a night of being young and dumb, but if he didn't miss his mark, Charles would soon be very sorely regretting his poor decision making skills. The Admiral was well familiar with stories of the Lightning Count from the war, and he was absolutely certain that the man, as much as he might personally dislike him, would whip the boy into shape.

Still, he was in a sour mood. That mood was made even sourer as he saw said nephew heading his way down the hall, looking a little more ragged, but not near cowed enough for the Admiral's liking. "Charles!" he snapped, catching the young man's attention. He felt marginally better as he saw the youth pale slightly, at least until his nephew's gaze locked on something behind him. He glanced behind his shoulder, and cursed as he remembered the Owned.

Granted, the creature did its best to make itself invisible, but he was still disgusted with it. Unfortunately, it was just a little too useful of a tool to throw away. "Thirty-two," he snarled at the Owned sharply. "Go wait for me outside."

The Owned hesitated a moment, looking as though he wanted to protest but knowing better than to.

"Thirty-two. I said _go_," he commanded, while motioning his nephew into an empty room.

"Yes, Master," the Thirty-second replied softly and slipped out the front door. He sat on the stairs with his back against a railing, eyes downcast and sad. He was not so distracted, however, that he failed to notice the man that followed him outside.

The new man stood just behind him, just out of his line of sight. He fairly radiated despair to the young Desolo, though most humans probably wouldn't have noticed. When he turned to get a look at the man, he was instantly taken aback by the feeling that his initial assessment had been wrong, nothing in his body language betrayed sadness, much less despair. Before he had a chance to scrutinize it further, the man spoke in a cold, almost emotionless tone.

"Why do you let him do that? How can you let him treat you like that?" it should have been a demand, but the dark-haired man's detached tone made it something that the Desolo couldn't quite put a name to.

He paused for a moment before answering, "I love him."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

Now the man's thick brows knit in incomprehension. He appeared to be looking for an answer and not getting the one he sought. "Is there nothing from before? No one else? No love? Nothing? No one?" he asked, emotion creeping into his voice, but only a trace. It could've been condescending.

He scoffed. "What are you, stupid? There is no _before_. The past is meaningless. All that matters is my Master. All that matters is now," a little bit of self deprecation came into his voice.

"How can you be so sure?"

The Owned was surprised by the man's persistence, and eyed him. There was something more definable in his voice now, something almost—but not quite—pleading, an edge of hope in his eyes that the Desolo doubted he was supposed to see. The man's emotions, while well-hidden were terribly _raw_.

"When I chose to become a Desolo," he began, almost against his own will. "I wanted to belong to my brother. I adored him more than anything and I hid his existence from Collins carefully. The idea was that I'd become a Desolo and he'd come and get me and I could finally be of use to him. My master came for me first," he explained quietly, matter-of-factly.

The hope flared for an instant in the man's eyes. "If you remember then why—"

"If my Master asked me to kill the man I called brother, for the sake of his love, I would do so gladly. If it would make him happy with me, I would do it and never think twice," he expanded, watching the man carefully.

It was the most obvious emotion he'd seen from the strange man yet. The man looked horrified, his eyes wide and the Desolo noticed the deep blue of them for the first time. The man had almost physically recoiled only to seem to control the reflex at the last moment.

"But that's…"

"Inhuman?" the Thirty-second provided with certainty, unflinching in the face of such a pure response. "Of course it's inhuman," he continued, "we're not human." He almost regretted it at the look of loss on the man's face, but a familiar tread caught his attention and the Owned jumped up in time to see his Master stride out. He didn't even acknowledge the Owned, but stalked towards his car. The Thirty-second followed him without hesitation.

Heero stared after the youngest Desolo in shock. It really was hopeless. Duo would never return to him. The total devotion the Owned had displayed to a goal, to a single end, was familiar, almost frighteningly so. When he had trained to be the perfect soldier, it had been very familiar indeed. And Duo had the same uncompromising devotion for Zechs. Damn, but things had been so much _simpler_ before Duo had come into his life.

Back then, none of this would have ever happened, all of these uncontrolled emotions. Heero had simply denied their existence, especially after his retraining. Duo was the one who had dragged them out and now Duo had abandoned him. Duo had left him with all the pain and the confusion and the uncertainty and no way of dealing with it constructively. And Duo was gone now, or may as well be. And if Duo was gone then he had no further need of those conflicting, debilitating emotions.

There had to be a way to get rid of the pain. There had to be a way to stop caring about emotions, about people as individuals. He would be saddened to lose those feelings, but anything, even nothing, was better than the constant, aching pain. There was a Duo-shaped hole in Heero's life that no longer fit the individual who had made it in the first place.

The Thirty-second had shown Heero something that he hadn't been able to accept from Duo himself. He had showed the once perfect soldier the unconditional love the Desolo possessed for their masters. If the Thirty-second could be so adamant about loving his abusive master, how much worse would Duo be about Zechs? Zechs who cared about him. Zechs who'd suffered as well when Duo had disappeared?

Heero wasn't one for praying, but he wanted Zechs to love Duo as the braided psycho deserved to be loved. Heero would've so gladly been in the former prince's place, but it wasn't possible.

The tightness that had been seated in his chest since Heero had first seen Duo choose Zechs worsened, and his throat tightened. His knees didn't seem to want to hold his weight, but the pilot would not indulge in the weakness of sitting down. He couldn't afford it. He couldn't afford these emotions. They were taking a toll on his physical condition and that in turn was taking a toll on his mental condition as well which affected his ability to perform his job to his best ability.

He would not tolerate these signs of weakness any longer. He was going to have rid himself of these emotions again. If it meant becoming the perfect soldier again, he'd do it gladly. If that didn't work, there had to be another way. Heero's eyes widened and he went still for a moment. There _was_ another way. Collins had done it with the Desolo. If all else failed, he could go to Collins, but he would try to figure it out himself first. Collins would be his last resort. One he wouldn't need because he would find the solution on his own.

…Ninmu ryoukai.

IIIIIIIIIIIII

AN: Holy crap. Consider me blown away by the response I've been getting. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I'm flattered and very sorry that it took me this long to get the story back on its feet. huggles everyone And everyone owes thanks to (me most especially) my beta, b/c without her, this story may really have died.


	19. 19: Look at where that genius got us

Chapter 19:

There was silence for several moments as each of the three pilots made their tea to suit their own taste before speaking. From an outsider's view, the scene would have been a rather grim one. All three men looked tired, careworn, and there was the vaguest feeling of despair in the air.

Quatre broke the silence first. "I know I was the one who was so certain there was no way to change this… no way to return Duo to what he was—who he was, but…" he rubbed at his eyes tiredly.

"I take that as a 'no progress' then?" Wufei replied softly, an oddly accepting tone in his voice.

"The more my people look through the information Dr. Collins turned over, the more astounded they are," the blond man sighed. "The work on the Impression process… it's sheer genius."

Wufei's dark eyes narrowed, but Trowa interrupted before his friend could get angry. "He's right, Wufei. They're all right. It is genius. This, Dr. Kelvare may have been out of his mind, but he was definitely brilliant."

Wufei sniffed disparagingly. "And look where that genius has gotten us." He tapped his leg a little impatiently before continuing. "I still wonder if Collins actually turned everything over."

Quatre shook his head. "I'd like to think he didn't. But I've spoken at length with Dr. Collins. He was unusually fond of Duo, I think, and would gladly change him back if he could. The unfortunate truth of the matter is the process was designed to be irreversible."

"Sally mentioned to me that Maxwell's Impression process was slightly different than all the other Desolo?" Wufei prodded. "Maybe there is a way to relay the Impression process and let him Imprint on Yuy?"

Quatre took a sip of his tea and nodded. "It was. Duo was the First and as well can be expected with the first success of an endeavor of this sort, he is a little quirky. We had hoped that there was some quirk that would allow the process to be… nullified, if not truly reversed. No such luck. As for re-Impression… It might drastically change his personality. We have no idea what it could do to him. This process was not meant to be repeated on a single individual. For all we know, it could take, it could just fail completely, it could take but not erase Zechs' Impression, meaning he'd probably kill himself trying to choose between them."

"Barton, you've been looking at the process, the chemical aspect of it…" before he could continue, Trowa shook his head.

"I tried to find something in it, somewhere that the chemical aspects of the Impression could be broken apart, but… it's too complicated for me. It's really ironic. If any of us should be trying to break down that mess, it should be Duo. I'm not the chemist he is."

"And I loathe to think of what Duo's reaction would be if we asked him to help find a way to break down his Impression," Quatre added.

"But we're running out of options… Sally brought home another thick file last night. Said she wanted to look at it with fresh eyes… but she hasn't touched it," Wufei's brow was knit in concern.

"I know we've only been at this for three months, but we're just running into so many dead ends," the frustration in the blonde's voice bordered on anger. "Most of what has been found that _may_ break down the process also has a very high chance of _killing_ him!"

Wufei started, while Trowa just ran a hand down his face. "Sally hadn't told me that!"

"She wouldn't have bothered. We weren't sure we were going to tell Zechs," Trowa sighed. "When we say 'very high chance' we mean ninety-eight percent and up chance of killing him. And we have no idea what other side affects those possible breaks is, even if he did survive, though on of them is definitely total amnesia, which is worse than what we have now. Some part of me says that this is Duo, who's knack for surviving almost makes me want to try it… but if it falls through… It's not worth the risk. If he was really miserable, maybe… if he was fighting as hard for a solution as we are…"

"Unfortunately, it took Kelvare years to make the Impression process what he wanted it to be. It took Dr. Collins time even after that to refine it, not much, but it definitely took some. We could be at this for years…" Quatre slumped forward slightly. "Even if we managed to break or nullify the Impression, we still have to deal with the physical aspects of being a Desolo. His DNA has been spliced with at least two different kinds of big cat and a bat. And we don't have years. I'm not sure we even have weeks."

This got both Trowa and Wufei's attention. "What've you been feeling?" Trowa asked as his lover rubbed at his chest.

"Nothing concrete, that's why I haven't mentioned it. But something… something is changing. In Duo, in Heero, in Zechs, I don't know," he shook his head. "I'm just not sure. But something's changing. Something is…moving? I'm not sure that's the right word…" he sat back. "I know Trowa and I haven't, but have you seen much of Duo lately, Wufei?"

"Mostly in passing," he admitted, a little abashed. "Une keeps both him and Merquise rather busy, but he's generally seemed happy enough. He's always cheerful, happy to see me, but a little distant?" he paused. "That's not quite the right word, but…" he trailed.

"I know what you're trying to say," Trowa sighed. "And it actually makes a lot of sense, if you'd seen Collins' notes. The Desolo were designed to be dependant only on their masters. They don't need anyone else, and they really won't seek outside company."

"I talked to Dorothy, too," Quatre added, gaining a look from Wufei. "She said that in the beginning, Cain clung to her, focused everything around her. She was about ready to go crazy from always having him at her shoulder and always wanting to be by her side, but when she started to fall in love with him, it changed. He didn't cling to her as much, and actually started to pay more attention to the people around him. Especially lately he's been making friends. Given a choice, he still generally prefers to spend time with Dorothy, but it's as if the more secure in their relationship he is, the more he acts like a normal person, for lack of a better word."

"I may not have talked much to Maxwell or Catalonia, but I have talked to Sally who does talk to Noin," Wufei added, gaining his friends' attention. "According to Sally, Noin is still very unhappy with the current arrangement. Sally thinks she is very threatened by Maxwell's presence," he paused thinking. "As a matter of fact, I seem to remember Sally mentioning that Noin had something of a breakdown in the office the other day. Merquise took her to lunch in tears," he huffed, showing what he thought of that, and it earned him an amused look between his friends before Quatre seemed to latch onto the information.

"Did Sally say why Noin was crying? Did she know what caused it?"

Wufei shook his head. "Not precisely. She talked to Merquise's secretary who said everything seemed fine when she left, though she remembered seeing Maxwell leaving the office before Noin could get in," he shrugged. "Though I'm not sure what Maxwell could've said to her."

Trowa and Quatre traded a look as they often did, but Quatre was the one who spoke. "Duo may be keeping a tight leash on his tongue when it comes to Zechs, but I doubt that courtesy is extending to Noin. I can think of any number of things he may have said to her…" he trailed and Trowa picked up the line of thought.

"Any number of things that would've made her _angry_, certainly… but cry?" he looked thoughtful, resting his chin on his fist. "I admit, I'm at something of a loss here."

"I guess it's safe to say that they're still trying to figure out things on that end," the blue-eyed man sighed, finally temporarily defeated on the subject. "Aside from that, has anyone been speaking to Heero much? I know Trowa and I have been trying but…"

Wufei shook his head. "Yuy has become very distant. Sally mentioned he'd been spending a fair amount of time with the Darlian woman, but in the last few weeks that has changed as well."

"He's definitely been withdrawing," Quatre sighed, then let out a soft sound, part sniff, part laugh, part despair. "Why is it whenever I think we've reached our 'fucked-up' limit, one of us finds the need to exceed it?"

No one had an answer.

IIIIIII

A shadow moved through the currently closed Winner laboratory. The heads of the team had finally called it a night a few hours back, though it had taken some longer to leave than others. Here was where all the information was about the Impression process. Here was all the ways they'd found to counteract it. The shadow took every bit of information it could get its hands on, hacking the system with the ease of long practice, making copies of everything it could find. Then it took as much of the hard copies of the information it could find. It was out in a few hours, leaving no trace of its presence aside from the missing files.

TBC…

IIII

My apologies. Spring break and I was disgustingly lazy. Really… Most of the next chapter is actually already handwritten, so it shouldn't be too long. Please be patient with me. Reviews always encouraged, not demanded.


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